Dragonball: The After Chronicles
by diamonddust131
Summary: Over three hundred years had passed since Son Goku defeated Majin Boo with the Super Spirit Bomb. Those on Earth do not remember this thanks to a wish made on Shenlong. Although Goku and the old Z Fighters are now gone, a new breed of heroes have risen in their place to protect the Earth. Contains a ton of OC's with Canons here and there. Updated on Tuesdays! Please Read and Review
1. Chapter 1

**Any feedback, reviews, and/or criticism is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading in advance! **

Chapter 1

It seemed that all he could do was run. Footsteps stormed through a tiny staircase, as a pair of legs raced up them. The person fleeing gasped for air with every breath they took and felt as if they wouldn't make it in time. Eventually, they reached their destination: a quiet rooftop hovering above West City. The young boy then carefully inspected his surroundings with his chestnut eyes to ensure that he was safe. A couple birds were chirping harmoniously in the background and other than the smoke steadily rising from a chimney in the distance, there wasn't another soul in sight. The young boy let out a sign of relief. He had evaded his captors for the time being.

Tired and out of energy, he opted to take a seat against a brick wall to regain himself. Beads of sweat poured down the boy's face and he felt as if his heart was going to burst out of his chest because it was beating so fast. Paranoid, the youth took one last gander around just to confirm he was alone.

"...Heh! L-Looks like those goons couldn't keep up with me!" he said, half excited, half anxiously.

The brown-skinned boy grinned, pleased with himself since there was no longer any danger afoot. He took the opportunity to take a look over at his apparel and saw this his white tank top and tattered, denim jeans had been scuffed up greatly in the chase. Frowning, he mumbled that this wasn't going to end well. The caretakers at the orphanage didn't like it much when he dirtied up his clothing after a wash, his marginally muscular frame already too big a fit for them in the first place.

"Tch! They messed up my hair too! Jerks...!"

The child ran his hand through his jet black mane, he noting that his short hair had always been unruly in the first place with the multitude of bangs hanging down from his scalp. A few of the kids at the orphanage had picked fun at this fact, though perhaps in spite of this, he had decided to keep it stylized as such.

The distinct sound of footsteps drawing near turned the boy's attention toward the staircase and he immediately gasped in fright. The door then slammed opened with force and three figures made their presence known. The adolescent in the front was quite large, although it was clear from his physical features that he was near the same age as the dark-skinned youth. The two behind him were much more bony, however, mirroring twigs in comparison.

"GOHEI! Where are ya, ya little squirt?!" cried the hefty one in a harsh tone.

It was clear by the brown-skinned boy's panicked reaction that he was the 'Gohei' who's name had been mentioned. He briskly scurried to another side of the rooftop and tried his best to remain out of sight. Unfortunately, his timid movements alerted him to his pursuers. They charged forward and before he had the opportunity to flee, the ample leader of the group snatched him up by his shirt.

"Heh, heh, heh! And where do you think **you're** going, squirt?"

Gohei gulped, unable to break free. "U-Umm...D-Darunga, I..."

"I don't wanna hear it!" Darunga barked back, effectively quieting Gohei. He then cackled some with his cohorts following suit. "Did you think we were really going to let you get away with 'disrespecting' me like that?!"

Squirming, Gohei faintly replied, "B-But I didn't...!"

"Quiet! Now then, I think we'll just beat the crap out of you, after you made us run so far to come after you!"

Darunga and the two individuals beside him broke out into laughter again, as Darunga tossed Gohei to the ground. Gohei found himself trembling and he couldn't so much as even defend himself being outnumbered like this. What had proceeded this meeting here today was simple: Gohei had so happened to encounter an already irritated Darunga(for whatever reason) in the cafeteria this morning and had also happened to take the last banana-nut muffin, which was Darunga's favorite. Apparently, Darunga was holding a grudge over the matter, yet Gohei speculated that he was likely just using this as an excuse to pick a fight. Darunga and his goons had **always** picked on Gohei any chance they got. This person had singlehandedly made his time at the orphanage almost unbearable. But...why? Gohei didn't get it. He had never done so much as insult or harm Darunga in anyway. In spite of this, for a far as he could think back, Darunga had had some sort of problem with him, something that irritated him enough come poking around for trouble...

"L-Leave me alone!" Discovering a pocket of courage, Gohei stood chest and scowled at Darunga. "I-I already apologized for eating that thing...so just leave me alone! I didn't do anything to you really and...!"

Promptly, a right hook from Darunga sent a rattled Gohei to the dirt. That had been the last straw. Darunga snatched Gohei up and held the boy up to his face, seething, before knocking his victim back with another punch. Again landing on his bottom, Gohei quivered and wiped the blood from his busted lip. It always went like this, he thought. Darunga and his boys always slapped him around until they had their fill and he always let them do so because he knew they would eventually grow bored with his presence and leave. However, something about this time was...different. This time, he wanted to fight back. Darunga noticed this and a grin spawned across his lips.

"What? Are you mad?! Is the 'freak' mad?!"

Another of the lads added, "Yeah, 'freak'! Do somethin' if yer mad then!"

"I bet he's too scared to do somethin'!" said the last one. "'Cause he's a 'freak!'"

Freak. That word pulled a string on Gohei heart, as if a far greater injury had been inflicted upon him. That had to have been it. Yes, now it was all making sense to him. For as long as he had been 'acquainted' with Darunga, the boy had repeatedly called him a 'freak.' He wasn't alone though. Almost every orphan at this orphanage had referred to him as such. Maybe it was his odd appearance. Maybe it was the pink scar that ran down the left side of his face, trailing down his eyelid to his cheek. Or perhaps it was his freakish strength, a trait he had always seemed to have. Indeed, Gohei was a **lot** stronger than his peers and practically anyone else he had managed to come across. Clinging onto a steel pipe behind him, he unknowingly began to twist its shape against his fingertips. He had possessed this strange trait for as long as he could remember and he could offer no explanation for it, as could anyone else. Often, he had wanted to use his abilities to silent the others, but found that he...couldn't. He felt it would only exasperate the problem, give more reason for people to label him as a 'freak.' He would be isolated and alone if he tried something like that. All he had ever wanted to begin with was everyone's respect. As such, he often cowered or ran when faced with the aggression, just like now.

"You know what? I'm tired of looking at you already, freak," Darunga exclaimed. "Boys, pound his face in until I say stop!"

"You got it, boss!" One of the punks answered, popping his knuckles.

This wasn't good. All the courageousness that had been building up inside of Gohei vanished into thin air, while he backed away from the three. He knew he had the power to drive them away and even so he wavered, not wanting to break the 'natural order' of things. Darunga would go away once he and his goons had their fill and that would leave Gohei with some momentary peace until the boy came around once more.

"STOP RIGHT THERE! Don't you **dare** lay a hand on him, you bullies!"

A voice resounded out from the distance and stopped Darunga from knocking Gohei's lights out. Everyone found themselves turning to the source of the cry, Gohei specifically. After instantly recognizing the individual he let out a low exhale. A girl, the same age as Gohei, dashed onto the scene and used her body to form a wall in front of him. The look on her face was livid enough to make even Darunga cower some, shocking considering the girl was barely even a fourth of the his overall girth. Her light skin and small frame nevertheless remained steadfast in front of her larger opposition.

"I thought I told you guys to leave Gohei **alone**!" the girl said, one of Darunga's boys shuttering in response to the sharp statement. "Don't you ever get enough of picking on him, Darunga! Get out of here before I tell one of the supervisors what you're up to!"

Darunga smacked his lips at the 'request', but appeared to mind it enough to back away, the others mimicking him. The brute shot one last glance at Gohei ahead of making his exit.

"Heh. You're lucky your 'mommy' bailed you out again, freak! This isn't over!"

Gohei grumbled at the remark and only stared on while Darunga and the others disappeared from the rooftop. With his attackers gone, he should have been more relieved, yet a sensation of dissatisfaction mixed with anger filled him instead. As such, he drove his fist with all of his might into the brick wall next to him, leaving a considerable hole in the surface. The girl who had come to his defense watched this quietly.

"Gohei..."

"I didn't need your help, Tyla!" Gohei abruptly snapped. "I-I could have...!"

"'Handled that on your own?'" Tyla smiled despite what had just occurred and Gohei found himself rendered speechless by her witty interruption. "That's what you always say, and yet..."

"Yeah, yeah, I get the point. Even so, you don't always have to jump in like that. That's why the others always make fun of me when you do."

Wandering off to another side of the roof, Gohei sat down on a railing and put his head to the ground. A sense of depression had come over him. Tyla, sensing the this, took a seat next to him. When she did this though, Gohei inched away from her. Nonetheless, she merely closed the distance, causing him to move back once more. They repeated this few times humorously until Gohei realized she wasn't going to stop bothering him until they talked.

"Gohei," she started. "You should really try to stand up to Darunga and the others. Otherwise, they're just going to keep bothering you like this..."

"...I'm aware, Tyla. It's just that..." Gohei recalled Darunga's coarse tone of voice when labeling him a 'freak'. "...Forget it. How did you know I was up here though?"

"Hmm? I couldn't find you anywhere downstairs and when I saw Darunga heading this way at top speed, I figured you had something to do with it," said Tyla playfully.

"Heh. Well then, I guess I should be thanking you..."

Tyla gently flicked Gohei across the forehead before sticking out her tongue. "Well then, I guess you should!"

A vein popped up on Gohei's temple. "Don't get so pleased with yourself there! I wouldn't want your fat head to explode from all that hot air..."

"H-Hey! My head isn't that big..."

What Gohei was referring to was Tyla's rather large forehead, only shielded by the bangs of her aqua-colored hair, which was tied into a single ponytail. The two soon started to laugh amongst one another, this calming Gohei down significantly. Tyla always was the only one that could get him so relaxed after an awful experience. Thinking on the matter some more, Gohei reminded himself that she was also his solitary friend in the entire world. The two of them had arrived in this orphanage when they were just babies at nearly the same time, Tyla's parents having died in a car accident, while no one could say for sure who Gohei's caretakers were prior. Over the years, they became steadfast and inseparable friends, with Tyla often acting like a 'motherly' figure to Gohei. While he was appreciative of this(although he would never admit it to Tyla), it also caused him some taunts from the other children. This in turn led Tyla to frequently having to defend Gohei in his stead, shielding him somewhat from the bullying and antagonism he received from the other orphans. She was also rather strict with him and kept him out of any trouble he could get himself into. Gohei never understood why she did all this for him, though he saw no point in complaining.

"But I don't know why that jerk Darunga picks on you so much," said Tyla. "He acts as if he's better than you or something. The last time we checked, we were **all** orphans here. Maybe he's just looking for attention."

"Y-Yeah...I guess."

"Well, I know I've said this like a **million** times, but try not to let him get to you, okay?"

Tyla had this way of talking that was stern, while being sweet at the same time that Gohei really enjoyed. It was really hard for him to turn down one of her requests when she spoke like that, so he gingerly dipped his head and didn't bother objecting. She then beamed widely and took Gohei's hand suddenly.

"Hey, I know what'll cheer you up! Let's go to the playground! All the other kids should be eating right now, so there shouldn't be anyone else there!"

Again nodding without a word, Gohei felt that wasn't a bad idea.

* * *

"Come on! You can push harder than that, Gohei! Put your back into it!"

Tyla shouted her orders from the seat of a swing that she was rocking back and forth on. She sounded similar to a tyrants with her demands and Gohei pushed her using one arm in an aloof manner. He didn't get what she was barking about. She was already going rather high as it was and if he pushed her any harder, he'd probably break the swing set.

"If you keep talking, I'll push you so hard, you land face first in the dirt," he chimed.

Tyla's face changed to one of anxiousness and she glanced down at her clothing: a white blouse, a denim miniskirt, and a pair of red sneakers. She had just gotten then outfit out of the laundry and she would be damned if Gohei went and ruined it with his antics. Seeing her response, Gohei let out a chuckle.

"Tyla, one day, I'm going to get us out of this place."

Gohei's statement was so random, Tyla had to absorb it for a second. "What?"

"What, are you deaf? I said that one day I'm going to get us out of this hell hole! There's gotta be more to the world to see than this place! We'll go make something of ourselves out there...in the real world! Whadya say?"

Tyla shrugged. "If you say so, but...you've been saying that...forever now."  
"Are you calling me a liar?"

"Not necessarily. I'm just saying that if you **do** plan on doing this, it's going to be quite awhile. I mean, we're still kids. There's no way we can do anything right now..."

"..."

"For now, just keep pushing me, you bum. I'm falling asleep over here!"

"Yeah, yeah! Just shut up already!"

A silence fell between the two with the sound of the swing creaking filling the air. There was something peculiar about this stillness that suddenly made a sensation of dread fill Gohei. It had been so out of the blue that it gave him the opinion that something was about to happen, something big. His arm kept up with its movements, but time seemed to stand unmoving for him. That's when he suddenly stopped pushing Tyla, his eyes spontaneously moving up to the skies above. Tyla, about to complain about his actions, noticed his trance-like state and became concerned.

"G-Gohei...?"

"W-What in the heck _is_ that?" he muttered, now leering over his shoulders.

Tyla placed her hands on him in an attempt to calm him down. "What? What is it? What are you looking for?"

"Huh? Tyla, you don't feel that?"

"Feel...what? What's the matter, Gohei?"

Gohei paused. "I-I can't describe it. It just...**feels** like something is coming. Something **big**."

Utterly dumbfounded, Tyla wondered if Gohei was a little unnerved because of earlier. That was...until she the sound of a loud, whirring engine filled her ears. It mirrored the noise an airplane would make, but about ten times as blatant. This lone sound was soon replaced by dozens of them and she and Gohei soon found themselves shielding their eardrums from the disturbance.

And that's when the two saw them above the skies of West City: a massive legion of crimson 'discs'. No, Gohei knew that wasn't a proper description of what he was seeing. These discs were ships, gigantic battleships of unknown origin. Their color, the way they 'screamed' through the air was unsettling and he understood the vibes that had been echoing through his form to have come from these 'things.' The two of them watched on in complete awe while the legion of crafts passed by at an extraordinary velocity. One of the closer ones kicked up the dirt and just about everything else up around the them in a violent maelstrom, it threatening to blow them away.

Tyla braced herself and asked, "W-What's going on?! What are those ships?!"

"I don't know, but I doubt they're anything good!" Gohei shouted back.

The ships in the heavens abruptly branched off from one another in various direction atop West City. The one that remained over Gohei and Tyla's heads, however, simply hovered unmoving for a few moments. Then, without warning, it began to rain down death upon the vicinity below it, destroying everything in sight with a torrent of red beams from its sides. Gohei and Tyla, terrified beyond belief, were witness to the surrounding buildings, structures, and even people being reduced to ash and rubble by the unforeseen attack. Things were happing far too quickly; Gohei could hardly comprehend anything at the moment. The orphanage, the place where Gohei and Tyla had spent the entirety of their existences, was soon vaporized into nothingness alongside everything else. The recoil from the edifice's destruction sent the remaining debris flying everyplace. Gohei's body moved on its own, he hastily grabbing hold of Tyla, while a savage burst of wind swept throughout the land...

By the time Gohei awoke, he was in a absolute daze, unable to determine if what had transpired was a dream or reality. His vision came back to him first, blurry. Although he was in a bit of discomfort, he disregarded it. His figure climbed out of a thick pile of rubble and he was revealed to see that he had successfully protected Tyla from the fallout with his own body. She must have passed out in all the commotion, though she was alive, that was for sure. He inspected himself all around to find that he there was hardly a scratch on him. It didn't add up; he should have been injured or at least have a bone or two broken.

_I guess I should just be thankful I didn't die..._

He slapped Tyla softly across the cheek to awaken her. "T-TYLA! Tyla! Get up! Come on, wake up!"

After a bit, Tyla arose and came to her senses. "W-Wha...? Gohei..?"

"Good. You're alive. Are you hurt anywhere?"

Tyla sat up. "I-I think I'm okay. Looks like I owe you one."

Gohei's eyes widened at Tyla's remark. This had been the first time he had saved her, rather than it being the other way around. It honestly felt good. Having a look over at their environment, Gohei felt this wasn't exactly the time to be worrying about that.

"O-Oh my God! T-The city! And...and the **orphanage**!It's...it's...!"

Tyla couldn't even get the words out. They probably wouldn't have even been able to describe what she was witnessing. The orphanage had been completely destroyed, replaced by a crater of smoldering earth. The sole indication that it had even been there was the now tattered sign that had always stood proudly in the front of the building. Tears found themselves streaming down the young girl's face, she unable to stop them. This was all too much. Gohei saw that the majority of West City was in the same state of affairs from what he could perceive. A gigantic cloud of smoke and residue rose into the skies from all about. Cupping his hand to his ears, Gohei could hear the sounds of sirens, panicked citizens, and the city wide alarm blaring. Every last act of devastation and mayhem had been caused by the crimson ships that were still firing on anything in their path.

Needless to say, this was complete disaster.

"I-It's...it's all gone! E-Everyone's GONE!" Tyla stated abruptly, sobbing.

It was then that the severity of everything hit Gohei, he glancing at the orphanage's remains in repugnance. "N-No...the orphanage...all the orphans...they're...!"

There was no doubt in either of the two's minds. Everything and everyone they had come to know had been wiped out in an instant, a millisecond. Worse of all, they had been powerless to stop any of it from happening. Feeling a combination of emotions, Gohei was having trouble keeping them bottled up inside. All the orphans, even Darunga, they had been cruelly erased from this world. He shook his head vigorously in denial. They didn't deserve this. Even if Darunga and the others had made fun of him and picked on him in the past, it didn't merit what had happened to them. It wasn't fair. Trembling, he had no idea what he was supposed to do and there wasn't anyone to help them out of this mess now.

Shifting to Tyla, he grasped that she was understandably shaken up. She was taking this a lot worse than he was too. Still, he didn't want them to remain here any longer.

"T-Tyla...w-we...we have to go! If we...if we stay here, there's no telling if those ships will come back and kill us too! W-We have to go!"

Although he was afraid and unsure of how to handle the situation, Gohei did know one thing: he had to get Tyla to safety. It was too late for the others, but he was certain he had to power to at least save Tyla. He owed her that much. Despite this, she hadn't responded to his words, she instead staring off into the distance with a look of terror. Gohei had never seen this before, not from her.

"TYLA! Wake up! We have to get out of here!"

Ignoring him further, she remained motionless, merely sobbing to herself. Gohei couldn't let this go on. He swallowed his fear for the time being and grabbed her hand. He then found himself running straight ahead without a clue on where to go or what to do. Tyla didn't resist. Her expression was blank, emotionless. She had regressed into herself in an effort to block this whole affair out. Who could blame her?

"Just hold on, Tyla! I-I'll...I'll figure something out! Just hang on!"

Having made some progress, Gohei decided to check on Tyla. He placed her behind the remains of a building, safe from harm, and plopped down beside her. She was fine, though it looked as if she had cried herself to sleep. Gohei was fine with this, as he felt it better if she got some rest. More burned out structures greeted the two up ahead and it looked as if the whole city had been hit hard by the attack. His eyes peered up toward the skies again and he saw a few more of those red ships zooming to and fro. Just the sight of them caused his anger to rise and he promptly grabbed a stone, throwing it as hard as he could at the metal hull. It whisked past its intended target, though Gohei already knew his act had been in vain.

"...It's dark..."

The smoke from the smoldering edifices of West City had created a haze thick enough to block out the sun, shadowing everything in a depressing fashion. Gohei could still pick up different events happening through the metro area. The roaring of the battleship's engines took precedence, but the sound of gunfire was escalating. Was there a battle going on somewhere? West City's emergency siren hadn't quieted yet and Gohei figured it wouldn't anytime soon.

_Where are all the citizens? Did they evacuate already? I hope not. I don't want me and Tyla to get left behind..._

Lost in thinking, Gohei was startled with the blaring sirens quieted, being replaced by an echoing voice. "Attention citizens of West City! An emergency evacuation has been ordered throughout the city! The city is currently under attack by an unknown, alien threat! I repeat, the city is under attack! All citizens are to evacuate the city immediately! This is **not** a drill! The city is currently.._._"

The message repeated itself a few times prior to fading out. Ripping a piece of his tank top off, Gohei bandaged a small wound on Tyla's arm while chewing over what was just said. "A-Alien threat? But, isn't Earth aligned with all the known alien races out there? Why would someone want to attack West City?!"

A green tank rolled its way down the street adjacent from him, bearing the arms of Earth's Royal Army. That explained the explosions and gunfire he was hearing. There was so much fighting in fact that he was starting to smell the scent of gun powder wafting about. The army was fighting back against these invaders. It was clear, nonetheless, that they were having a hard time of it. The tank opened fire on one of the ships above, but soon enough, it was destroy by a bright flash of light, Gohei shielding himself from it. He then found himself slamming his skull against the wall behind him out of nervousness. Picking up Tyla and placing her on his back, that was his cue to keep moving. There was a chance the Royal Army had set up a defense point somewhere and maybe they were even taking in civilians. Anything was better than just remaining out in the open.

Gohei dashed across one block, then two, then three. Before he knew it, he was halfway across the city. More lasers, explosions, and gunfire could be viewed going off behind him. Against his better judgment, he tried his best to disregard them and keep going. At that point, Tyla had awoken from all the noise and commotion, oblivious to their current standing.

"G-Gohei...?" she said groggily.

"Shh. Just relax." There was a building that was still in enough of one piece that Gohei decided they could hide out in until things died down. "Come on! We're going to lay low for a while!"

They neared the safe zone, but when Gohei turned a corner to go inside, his heart nearly skipped a beat because of what was up ahead. The remains of a few of the Royal Army's tanks could be seen scattered about, along with an unknown group wearing strange armor and consisting of a multitude of races. Despite the fact Gohei had exclusively seen just a few of the diverse races on Earth, he was positive two or three of the individuals were Meatians from the Planet Meat. They were insect-like, but humanoid, possessing white and dark blue skin tones. Parts of their flesh were covered in red lines and the characteristic that stood out most in Gohei's opening was the wide, water-colored eyes. The others looked to be human, or at least, a species that were similar to humans. The most he could surmise was that they were soldiers of some sort from their armament.

"Oh...crap..."

That was all Gohei could spit when this detachment had spotted he and Tyla. They wasted little time surrounding them, pointing strange blasters in their direction too. A low whimper came from both Tyla and Gohei, as they hadn't quite expected to run into anything like this. Were these the so called 'invaders' they had heard about? These men sure fit the description. A Meatian, adorned in slightly fancier armor,(a sure sign he was the one in charge of the rest) ordered his men to lower their weapons as soon as the men got close enough to make out Gohei and Tyla clearly.

"Stand down. It's just a couple of Earthling runts," he declared in a deep, grungy intonation. "I thought we had either captured or killed everyone in this area already. Guess these two must have slipped past us."

Gohei couldn't even move. His heart was pulsating like a drum and a cold sweat broke out on his entire body. This couldn't have been happening. They were at the total mercy of these mysterious soldiers and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to change it. He detected Tyla's body shaking, shaking as if she were sick.

Gohei whispered, "I-It's okay, Tyla. We'll make it out of this."

Gohei doubted his own words; he just didn't want to spook Tyla anymore than she already was.

The Meatian leader eyed the two over a bit prior to speaking again. "Doesn't look like there are anymore of them. You two...identify yourselves!" The alien saw that the children were far too anxious to reply to his demand. "Bah! I don't have time for this!"

"...W-Wait! W-Who are you people?! Why are you doing this?!"

Tyla's question was one that had been on the minds of she and Gohei for the longest now, she having the guts to ask it from the very foe that had caused them so much anguish What did these so called 'invaders' want and why were they attacking the Earth? The Meatian in command was intrigued enough by Tyla's curiosity to entertain her with an answer, while he signaled for his men to stand down momentarily.

"You don't know, girl? Hmph. You Earthlings must be living under a rock if you do not know! We serve the one and only Emperor of the Universe, King of the Stars: Lord Icer!"

Icer? Neither Gohei nor Tyla had ever heard the name before, but the way this individual spoke of them made it apparent they were rather important.

Hesitating, Gohei chimed, "L-Lord Icer? W-What does he want with Earth?! Why are you guys destroying everything?!"

"It's simple: your planet has been chosen as the latest...'acquisition' in Lord Icer's mighty, universal empire! You should feel quite honored that he's even bothered to bat an eyelash at this backwater world. Nevertheless, this planet's inhabitants insist on resisting the inevitable, so you have all forced us to use 'extreme' measures to subjugate you. Of course, your people have put up a useless resistance to try and stop us. Just flies to swat really."

"B-But...but that's not **fair**!" said Gohei. "Y-You've destroyed the entire city! Y-You've...you've killed so many people! I don't see why...!"

"I'm sure it's incomprehensible for humans like you," the Meatian boldly stated. "So I won't bother explaining anything more to the likes of you two..."

This was insane. Gohei or Tyla couldn't...no...**wouldn't** understand the motives of these people and there was obviously no way to justify their actions. No, these invaders were nothing more than tyrants, bullies that picked on the weak without any remorse or hesitation. Growling, it reminded Gohei of his time at the orphanage. It appeared that everywhere he went there was some sort of injustice. The only difference here was that this particular brand of cruelty was on a much grander scale than what he was accustomed to.

"Sir! What should we do with them?" one of the humanoid soldiers inquired.

The Meatian wasn't sure. "Hmm...just finish them off. It's not like anyone's going to miss a couple of rotten brats! Hurry it up so we can sweep the next area! The Generals want this city in our hands within the next few hours!"

An overwhelming feeling of dread fell over Gohei then. Was this...really the end? His legs could barely support the weight of his body and it refusing to heed his will. The soldiers nodded at their leader's orders and once more aimed their weapons at Gohei and Tyla, this time for the kill. Clenching his fist, Gohei was aware he had to do **something**. Anything. This wasn't the time for him to cower in fear, as the consequences would be far more severe than just a simple beating. But there was no way he would be able to win against these people. Even taking into account his unusual strength, he seriously doubted victory was attainable. Tyla found herself burying her face into Gohei's shoulder, clearly not wanting to see what was going to befall them. Seconds ticked by, drawing closer and closer to the moment of truth.

_C-Come on, Gohei! You have to protect her! You __**have**__ to!_

"Tyla! Get down NOW! Cover your ears!"

The storm of tension and anxiety left his psyche and out of nowhere, Gohei drew air into his lungs, held out his chest, and let loose a nonstop scream that shattered the sound barrier instantaneously. His voice produced a powerful shock wave that reverberated about the outlying area. Cars, rubble, and everything else was blown back from the force and the invaders observing in shock were scarcely able to stand their ground. The device on the Meatian leader's head, a machine with a red lens that rested over his left eye, beeped a few times, while Gohei's assault continued.

"W-What?! This kid...! His power level has shot all the way up to seven hundred and fifty?! Impossible!"

The Meatian found himself stupefied by his remark, while a van missed shaving his cranium off by a few inches. Not stopping, Gohei kept up until he eventually ran out of breath, his lungs needing fresh oxygen. Tyla had fortunately managed to plug her ears up, as instructed, and she could hardly believe Gohei managed to pull something like this off. The Meatian and his men hadn't been so lucky, having been swept off their feet somewhat from the screeching.

"G-Gohei! Are you okay?! How did you...!"

"I-I'm alright. Heh, I was actually saving that one for Darunga, but I guess it helped out right here as well..."

"That was quite...interesting...little boy."

Gohei and Tyla were in shock. The soldiers had managed to recover from Gohei's attack post haste and they weren't even hurt by it in the least. With that, Gohei knew there was no way he could beat these people, as his found himself stepping away from them gradually.

The Meatian stretched his neck some and turned his gun at Gohei. "Hmph. I'll admit, I like your spunk. I didn't think a mere human was capable of something like that. You almost caught us off guard there. Nevertheless, I suppose that's even more incentive to do away with you..." Holding up his arm, the Meatian prepared to give the signal for his men to fire. "Don't leave even a scrap of them remaining!"

It was all over. Tyla let out one last shriek and Gohei slammed his eyelids shut and basically broke down. They had come so far and for what? Just to die like dogs?

_Dammit! Dammit! DAMMI-IIIIII-T!_

The Meatian lowered his arm. "FIRE!"

A hail of laser beams erupted in the once quiet corridor...

"WHAT?! Where did they go?!"

The alien commander and his men were reacting to the the reality that their targets had disappeared into thin air, as their blasts had hit just that. The unit frantically looked around for any sign of the two, yet it was as if Gohei and Tyla had never been there to begin with. Staring a length in front of him, the Meatian gasped and determined the source of the disturbance.

Both Gohei and Tyla slowly opened their eyes to find that they were still alive and well, for some reason. Puzzled, they came to the realization someone was holding them currently and when they gazed up to see who, they taken aback by a handsome, brown-skinned man possessing brown eyes and a pink scar trailing the right side of his face. Wearing a black karate ki with a red-colored undershirt, red, fingerless gloves, and black boots, it didn't take long for Gohei and Tyla to deduce that he was a fighter. His expression was fierce, enough so that the two weren't so sure they were out of trouble quite yet. However, the man's features relaxed into a warm smile when he safety situated them on their feet. He then placed his hands on their heads, keeping up his cheerful demeanor.

"Are you two alright? Are you hurt?"

The man's voice was fitting, as tranquil as his air and Gohei and Tyla responded that they were unharmed in a nigh drunken manner by nodding. The dark-skinned man confirmed that they were indeed alright before facing the soldiers, glaring acutely.

"You two should find some place to hide. I'll take care of these people..." the fighter said in Gohei and Tyla's direction.

"W-Who are you?" asked Tyla.

Without getting a reply, Tyla watched as this person leaped an incredible height, landing right in front of the lost Meatian and his squad.

"T-This guy..." Gohei was shaking again, though this time, it was for a different reason. "I don't know what it is, but I just get the feeling we're going to be okay, Tyla!"

"A-Are you sure? Do you really think this guy can win?"

Gohei shook his head. For the first time in a long time, he found himself smiling. "Just watch and see, Tyla!"

Nevertheless, both Gohei and Tyla couldn't help but wonder who this mysterious youth was...and where he had come from.

END


	2. Chapter 2

**Any feedback, reviews, and/or criticism is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading in advance!**

Chapter 2

The wind blew steadily, calm even, as if it were anticipating some unforeseen event. Indeed, the entire setting for the fight to come was suffocated by pure silence. Gohei and Tyla's unknown rescuer faced his opposition while remaining just as still, eventually shifting himself into a fighting stance. He had come seemingly out of nowhere, like the breeze, and had saved Gohei and Tyla from certain death in the knick of time, but did he have to strength to take on these invaders? Those in question weren't so sure.

"Tch! N-Not bad! You're fast indeed," said the Meatian commander, trying to stop one of his arms from twitching so much. He looked to be a tad bit rattled. "Unfortunately for you, you made a big mistake coming here! We've been ordered to dispose of any...'problems' we might run into and I believe you count as one of them!" The Meatian then hit a button on the strange device on his head, getting some sort of reading. Upon this, a haughty series of laughs escaped him and his once tense form calmed. "Perhaps I made my judgment too soon! There's nothing to fear, men! His power level is a measly twenty!"

While Gohei and Tyla had no idea what he was talking about, the Meatian's subordinates sure did, since they nearly choked on their spit cackling about the news. The youth didn't react to any of this and he merely watched on.

"Well then, there's no need for me to lift a finger! Boys! Finish him off and handle the paperwork! I..."

"I see," the dark-skinned man's voice stopped the Meatian in his track. "So that strange machine on your head can sense my Ki? If that's the case, what would happen if I do this?"

The youth suddenly clenched his toned muscles together and he began to shout at the top of his lungs. While doing so, a fiery, blue aura of some sort formed around him and intensified by the second. The ground beneath his feet responded, the entire area actually quivering from his influence. The soldiers watched on in confusion, as the machines on each of their heads exploded one after the other. The Meatian looked as if he were about to have a heart attack and his device was going absolutely haywire.

"S-Sir, what is it?!"

The Meatian's chromatic eyeballs reddened, he backed away, and at the top of his lungs, he shouted, "N-No! That's **impossible**!H-His POWER LEVEL! It's...IT'S...IT'S OVER NINE THOUSA-AAAAAAAAAAA-ND!"

His men reacted in the same manner after hearing this development, each retreating as far away from the youth as possible. The instrument on the Meatian's face then burst into flames as well and injured him, though he had more important things to fret about at the moment. Gohei had no idea what anyone was talking about, yet as he glanced at the mysterious youth, he could literally **feel **what those present were reacting to.

_I-I can't describe it, but it's like when I felt those ships when they first appeared! Whatever this is, it's __**strong**__. Really strong!_

The brown-skinned individual continued his power up, all while staring his opponents down with his fiery gaze.

"You all are going to **pay** for what you've done here today! I promise you that!"

The youth then vanished entirely from everyone's sight. This in itself was more than unsettling to the Meatian and his squad and they rightly started to panic.

"Stay sharp, men!" The Meatian ordered. "H-He's..he's just one man! He can't have..."

The other Meatian among the group was nailed right between the eyes by a knee thrust and sent flying like a bullet out of a gun into a nearby pile of rubble. This had happened so fast, the other's hadn't even seen it until it was far too late. The youth followed his surprise attack up by landing a mighty blow into the stomach of another soldier, causing him to hack up a great deal of blood and collapse face first into the ground. Panicked, two more soldiers blindly charged toward the young man, intending to use their numbers to their advantage. The youth, however, easily caught their punches, crushing their bones slowly within his grasp. The victims hollered out in pain, begging for mercy. The mere thought of such a thing appeared to anger the fighter, as his expression stiffened.

"Mercy? You want me to show you mercy?!"

A humanoid soldier with a Mohawk answered, "Y-Yes! P-Please, mercy!"

The other added, "T-That really hurts!"

The dark-skinned fighter moved closer to the two, maintaining his scowl. "Did you show any of the citizens in this city mercy before you killed them and destroyed their homes without a care in the world?! Tch! I will not kill you, but...!"

At this point, the two victims were babbling incoherent nonsense. The dark-skinned man yelled out and threw the duo as far as he could into the distance until they weren't even visible anymore. This left only the Meatian commander, who had seen all he had needed to see. He let out a shrill cry, stumbling over some rubble, and attempted to sprint away in terror. Unfortunately, his attacker was much more agile, and he appeared in front of the Meatian, blocking his path.

"W-W-W-W-W-W-W-Wait...WAIT a moment!" The Meatian held out his arms defensively, just as the youth was about to thrust his fist, in turn stopping him. "H-Haha! Y-You are powerful i-indeed! I submit to your...your overwhelming strength! P-Please don't hurt me!"

The mysterious man inched closer. "...And why shouldn't I?"

"I-I was only doing my **job**! P-Please, I-I had no choice, but to...!"  
"Who is leading this invasion?! There has be someone ordering you lot around! Who is your leader?!" the brown-skinned man demanded to know, lifting the alien up using one arm.

But the Meatian was too frightened to hear his words. "I-I'll leave this planet right now, so please, spare me! I-I know we killed a lot of the Earthlings here, b-but...l-like I said I was **forced** to do so by my superiors! SPARE ME!"

The man shook his head. "...I never wanted to hurt any of you in the first place, but you forced my hand in this when you threatened those children and the people of this city! If you are not going to talk, then you can sleep for awhile!"

"W-What?! Y-You...!"

The youth chopped the Meatian across the neck, instantaneously rendering him unconscious and putting an end to this whole fiasco. Exhaling, he gazed around at the broken bodies about him and quietly apologized to his victims.

"What...the...HELL?!"

Everything that had just transpired had felt like a dream to both Gohei and Tyla. Those soldiers had seemed so intimidating to them at first, and yet this strange person had come out of nowhere and made them look like a job. Hopefully, that would teach a lesson to any other invaders in the area once they stumbled upon the 'wreckage' here, or at the very least, scare the living daylight out of them. Happy that they were alive, Gohei and Tyla hugged one another and cheered.

"Haha! I swore, I saw my life flash before my eyes!" said Gohei.

"I know right? I hate to say it, but I had pretty much given up." Tyla wiped the tears from her eyes. "Well, at least you hung in there, right, Gohei?"

He let out a single, nervous chuckle. "Er...s-sure. Why not?"

The dark-skinned fighter bent down toward the Meatian he had defeated and he took hold of the now broken device the creature had been wearing. He examined it quietly for a few moments before determining that he had no idea how to work it. It had been destroyed anyway, the second he had powered up in fact and he wondered if that had some semblance. Most of the soldiers he had stumbled across here in West City were wearing them, along with their strange armor, colored red, black, and gray in spots. Eventually, he decided to leave the device be after determining it was worthless and he joined Gohei and Tyla, who's quickly approached him.

"W-Whoa! Y-You must be really strong! You beat those guys without even breaking a sweat!" said Tyla in an excited fashion. "T-Thank you very much for saving us!"

"Oh man! H-How did you do that, mister?! That was **amazing**!" added Gohei. "O-Oh, and thanks for helping us out there, whoever you are!"

The man couldn't help but laugh at their reactions. "Heh. I am glad I made it to this city in time to save you both. I saw those flying spaceships in the sky and feared the worse. Unfortunately, it looks as if I was correct. It seems as if the people here have either been killed or captured. Nevertheless, we should get out of here. I don't know who these strange soldiers are, but I am sure there are plenty more of them around. There is nothing more we can do for this city and you two are probably exhausted after this whole ordeal. Come. You both are more than welcome to come back to my place and rest."

So much had occurred that Gohei and Tyla barely managed to nod 'yes' in response to the man's generous offer.

* * *

Numerous screens illuminated an otherwise dark room, each monitor displaying a different situation on Earth's surface. The footage itself had been prerecorded and the person watching it was merely checking up on how the invasion was fairing thus far. One screen in particular caught the eye of the viewer, he swiveling around in a chair at what was being displayed. A strange, dark-skinned young man had just finished dispatching a number of his troops with relative ease. The gentlemen nodded what he was seeing before rewinding it a couple of times, taking interest in the fighter's movements and actions. Strangely satisfied, the man took a swig of red wine from a clear glass in his fingertips. He should have been more alarmed about all of this, yet he looked as if he had discovered gold.

"...This footage is about an hour or two old at this point. Hmm...to think there are actually beings on this planet strong enough to resist us. Fascinating. If I could just..."

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of metal doors sliding open electronically and when he faced them, he saw one of his men bursting into the room at a breakneck pace. The humanoid soldier gathered his breath ahead of awkwardly saluting his commander.

"General Kidnel, sir! I-I have a report! It's about our soldiers on the front lines! They...!"

"...I know." The individual in charge took another drink of his wine. "I just saw it on the recording we managed to capture. A tad bit embarrassing, to say the least. Do you have any more details on the boy who was responsible for this?"

The soldier wavered some. "E-Er...no. There has been no sign of that man since the incident. T-There's one other thing...sir. While he did manage to defeat our forces, he did not kill a single one of them! W-We found them all gravely injured and sent them to the medical bay."

Fumbling his glass between his fingers, the shrouded Kidnel whistled at the comment. "He didn't kill anyone? Hahaha! How curious indeed! I would have never guessed it, considering the 'slaughter' I just witnessed. Question our men. See what they can tell us. Though I they probably vaguely remember the battle, they should be able to provide some information as to the identity of that boy."

"U-Uh...y-yes sir! I-Is there anything else then, sir?"

"...Yes. Send Plinto out to survey the area. I suspect the person we are looking for is still in the area. He couldn't have gotten that far in such a short time.

With a final salute, the humanoid soldier received Kidnel's orders and prepared to deliver them to the requested party. However, he was stopped by a hand jutting out from the darkness, it belonging to his superior officer.

"Wait. Tell Plinto that I want this boy alive. He is by no means to kill him. I want him brought here in one piece. I don't care how he gets the job done, just make sure he understands that much."

"Sir, yes sir!" the soldier replied with a slight air of confusion. It was odd for General Kidnel to be issuing such commands. Actually, it was rather strange for him taking such an interest in an unknown fighter. The soldier quickly remembered though that he had no right to be questioning the orders of a commanding officer and he simply dashed off to perform his task.

"...Good. I wait with anticipation to see what happens next..."

Kidnel finished off his red wine and turned back to the monitors in front of him.

* * *

Gohei and Tyla sat in silence in front of a roaring fire, the flames dancing about in the air. The light from the fire cast their shadows across a cavern wall, as the two seemed to be reflecting about something. A trio of fish were busy roasting between the intense heat and a hand lunged out to one of them. Grasping a stick with the food in his hand, the dark-skinned youth from earlier smiled and held it out toward the two.

"Please. You two should eat something. You must be hungry," he said.

Neither Gohei nor Tyla obliged his gestured and he frowned as such. They hadn't said so much as a word since he had brought them to safety. Indeed, the most they had done was stare off into space with their heads in their laps. Unsure as to why they were behaving as such, the youth let them be for the time being and proceeded to eat by himself.

"...I can't believe the entire orphanage is...gone." Tyla's words echoed about the cave a few times. "Everyone's...gone too."

Gohei did not respond to her statement, instead scowling. She was right. Everything and everyone they had ever known was nothing more than a distant memory. It was odd. He had always wanted to leave the orphanage one day. He had always wished to leave behind everyone there to chase his own dreams, to escape what he thought was his own personal hell. Because of what had happened, however, he felt...conflicted. Shouldn't he have been happy to see the place he had been forced to call home go up in smoke, to see the people who had shunned and mocked him get what they deserved? A part of him figured as much. Nonetheless, there was no satisfaction in the truth. Everyone had died and there wasn't a damn thing he could have done to stop it. That in itself was eating him alive. Clutching his temples, he theorized if his own weakness had been the source of he and Tyla's trouble. Possibly if he were stronger, he would have been able to prevent this.

"I am...sorry for your loss, you two. I really am," said the mysterious youth, he again holding out food. "But please, you must eat something. You both need your strength. You are welcome to stay here as long as you like. It isn't much, but it is what I call home."

Home? Gohei and Tyla weren't sure if that was supposed to be a joke. This man's 'home' was nothing more than a small cavern in the mountains just outside of West City. The citizens often referred to these parts as the 'Wastelands' and it wasn't hard to see why. How anyone could reside in such a place was beyond either of them.

"Jeez, this place makes the orphanage back there look like a castle," Gohei remarked, snatching the fish from his host's hands and sinking his teeth into it. "And the food there was at least dead for awhile before we cooked it..."

"Gohei! Don't be so rude!" snapped Tyla. "This man saved us and is even feeding and sheltering us and you're still complaining?!"

"T-Tch! I never said I wasn't grateful, but still...!"

The youth laughed at the two's bickering. "It is...quite alright. I suppose that would be a normal reaction to all of this. You see, I've lived in these mountains my entire life, so I know nothing outside of them. It has a certain 'comfort' to me."

"Y-You've...**lived** in these mountains?" Gohei scratched his head. He had only seen people doing such a thing in movies or on TV. "Man, you really are a strange guy."

Tyla concurred, although she didn't want to say so out loud. "Er...t-thank you for saving us both earlier! I don't know what would have happened to us if you hadn't come along, Mister...um...Mister..."

"Axel." Gohei and Tyla jumped when the youth said a name. "My name is Axel."

"Axel...okay. I'm Tyla and this is Gohei."

"Tyla...and Gohei. Well, it is a pleasure to meet you both!"

Gohei watched Axel carefully, shaking his hand when he extended it. There was something about this man, something 'familiar.' It was as if Gohei had met him somewhere before. Even so, he was sure this was the first time he and Axel had even seen one another. Was he simply imagining things?

"You are very welcome, Tyla," said Axel. "I only wish I had arrived sooner to help more people. I do not know who these beings are that are attacking our planet and I do not know why they are doing this, but it is obvious they do not care who or what they destroy. Someone needs to stop them and soon."

Gohei nodded at the observation. These aliens, these invaders. If something wasn't done to put an end to their reign of terror, there would only be more victims, like those at the orphanage. He wasn't sure if he would be able to bear something like that once more.

Frowning, he shouted, "A-Axel! Please! Tell me how you got so strong!"

"Uh...huh? How I got so...strong?" Axel was taken off guard somewhat by the inquisition. He tossed another log into the camp fire and said, "My Master was the one who taught me how to fight. In fact, he was the one who raised me and took care of me."

Tyla asked, "Your Master? Was he the one that brought you here?"

"No." Axel shook his head. "Quite the opposite. He found me here."

"F-Found you here?!" Gohei and Tyla hollered at the same time.

"Correct. I do not...know who my parents are or where I even came from. When I was a mere baby, a man by the name of Ryuzaki happened to stumble across me here in these mountains all on my lonesome one day while he was training." As Axel spoke, the fire between he and his guests flared up. The wood was just about used up. "This man was named Ryuzaki and he was an especially powerful martial artist. He told me that he had always wanted a son, but because he had spent a large part of his time in training, he had never been able to have one. So, he opted to take me as his own child and he was the one who took care of me for most of my life, right here in these mountains."

"Wow! That was rather generous of him!"

Axel nodded at Tyla's remark. "Indeed it was. I do not know where I would be today if he had not done this. I am forever grateful."

With half a piece of fish in his mouth, Gohei asked, "So, he was the one who taught you how to fight then?"

"Yes, Gohei. My Master was a practitioner of a martial arts style known as the Ryu Jin'ei. From what my Master told me, it is a very powerful fighting style and that only a few individuals in the world can uptake it with any success. I have trained my entire life to master the Ryu Jin'ei. It is very...difficult, to say the least."

Gohei and Tyla were enthralled because of Axel's explanation. He didn't need to say much for the two of them to know he was telling the truth about how strong his powers were. They got a full glimpse of them earlier when he rescued them.

Gohei gagged on his food because he was eating way too quickly. "A-Agh! Uh...so, where is this Ryuzaki guy now?"

"Gohei! You're eating like a pig!" said Tyla.

"B-Bah! I'm just hungry, that's all! Quit your nagging!"

"Hungry? Man, you're **always** hungry! Even at the orphanage, you always ate ten times as much as everyone else..."

"Jeez, Tyla! You don't have to tell **everyone**!"

"Well, it's the truth and you know it! Ugh! I can't believe you!"

"H-Hey! What's the matter with me eating my fill, huh?!"

The clatter of Axel's laughter stopped Gohei and Tyla from ripping each other's heads off. "You two...I can tell you have spent a lot of time with one another."

What was that supposed to mean? Blushing, Gohei and Tyla separated from one another and made sure not to look each other in the eyes.

"Er...w-what were you saying, Axel? About your Master," said Gohei clumsily.

"Huh? Oh, you wanted to know what happened to Master Ryuzaki? Hmm. My Master...died sometime ago actually. It turns out he had been sick...very sick, for a long, long time. I regretfully admit that I did not notice this in time. Rather than inform me or seek treatment, my Master opted to use the few remaining years he had to train me in the art of the Ryu Jin'ei."

"...Oh, I-I see..." Gohei seriously regretted even bringing up the subject. "I'm...very sorry to hear that."

Tyla wanted to cry. "Aw, that's such a sad story!"

"I thank you both for your kind words. I do not know why my Master did this. Maybe it was to prepare me for some unforeseen threat, like the one we are facing now. I honestly cannot say for sure. I simply wish I could ask him about it. Of course, that is impossible now."

"Speaking of these 'Invaders'..." Tyla stated, putting her hand on her chin. "Where do you think they came from? And how come we've never heard of them before?"

"I wish I could tell you, but I do not know anything more than you two."

"Wait a moment!" Gohei suddenly recalled something. "That Meatian! The guy who was in charge back there! Didn't he say something about a...er...'Lord Icer', Tyla?"

"Oh, you're right, Gohei! Hmm, but...I've never heard that name before either."

"Darn, you're right. I wonder who that is? Do you think he's the one behind all this?"

"Maybe," Axel added. "But whatever the case, I am going to have to do something!"

"D-Does that mean...you intend to fight these guys by yourself, Axel?"

Axel paused momentarily, mulling Gohei's question over. "Yes, Gohei. I do not believe we have a choice in the manner. I also do not believe anyone else can stand up to these mysterious Invaders. Do not let those soldiers I fought back at the city mislead you. Something tells me that there are stronger ones heading this entire operation. At the very least, if I do not at least attempt to stop them on my own, there is no telling how many more innocent people will be hurt."

"No! That's too dangerous!" Tyla latched herself onto Axel's arm. "T-There's too many of those soldiers out there! I know you're strong, but..."

"I know, Tyla, but I have to do something!"

Gohei repeated Axel's last remark a few times under his breath.

_I...have to do something..._

Yes, that sounded familiar. Gohei too wanted to help out in anyway possible. If he were only stronger, he would be able to assist Axel with this task. He would be able to stop these Invaders himself even and avenge everyone that had been hurt or killed by these villians. Right now though, he was powerless, unable to do even a single thing on his own. He should have been the one to save Tyla back there in the city. Instead, it was Axel who had come to their rescue. How could he be so weak? At this point, it was almost sickening. Habitually, he punched the rocky wall out of anger and frustration. His whole life, he had done nothing more than cower in fear at threats bigger than him.

Perhaps some things never changed.

"Gohei? Is...everything okay?"

"W-What?" Gohei looked across his shoulder to see that he had knocked a gaping hole into the wall. Needless to say, both Tyla and Axel were vexed by this. "N-No...it's...nothing."

"Are you sure, Gohei? I know that look! You're worried about something!" said Tyla.

"...There's no hiding anything from you, is there, Tyla?" There never was. Gohei knew what he had to do. He walked over to Axel, wanting to get something off his chest. Anxiously, he looked Axel right in the eyes. "A-Axel! I...I have a request!"

"A...request? Well, alright. I will try my best to oblige. What is it?"

"Please! Train me! Train me so that I can help stop these bastards! I-I can't do anything the way I am now, but if I could fight, I-I...I could make a difference!"

The passionate declaration was more than a shock to both Axel and Tyla. Judging from his expression though, he was dead serious. This was the first time Tyla had seen this. Determination. It was plastered all across Gohei's face right now. Momentarily, he was almost like a different person. As such, Tyla couldn't help but gaze at him, marveling him.

"At the orphanage...I was always bullied because I was too weak and timid. I couldn't even stand up for myself without Tyla's help. I thought that was okay. I never liked it, but I always figured that because I was so weak, that was okay. But today...today, I finally opened my eyes! If I don't get stronger...I won't be able to protect the things I love! Those goons back in West City showed me that! I-I don't wanna always have to have you guys sticking up for me! I wanna help out too! So please! Train me!"

"G-Gohei..." Tyla was honestly at a loss for words.

"I see, Gohei. I am not sure I can fulfill your request." Axel ran his fingers through the young boy's hair and smirked. "You see, I am still training myself. I do not believe I would be a good teacher. Still, I suppose I cannot outright deny your request. I will see what I can do."

"H-Hey! Stop that! You're messing up my hair!"

Chuckling at this, Axel's eyelids sharpened just then. He had been sensing a strange Ki for some time, but he had yet to determine the source...until now. It was stemming from Gohei. His power was far greater than what normal human's should have been. It was highly unusual for someone with no fighting ability to have such energy and Axel wondered why Gohei possessed such strength.

"Gohei, I have been meaning to ask you. Why is it..."

Both Axel and Gohei's expressions changed to ones of complete shock almost simultaneously, they picking up on the exact same presence. Tyla noticed their discomfort searched around, half expecting to see some kind of danger. However, there was nothing afoot but a couple of birds, who quickly flew away in fear of something unseen.

"W-What in the world is **that**?!" Gohei exclaimed, his figure tensing up. "T-This sensation! It's just like when I when those ships in the sky came, but **much** bigger!"

"Y-Yes! I feel it as well, Gohei!" said Axel. "There is a very powerful fighter approaching this area! That is what you are sensing right now! D-Darn it! I do not know who this is, but their Ki is incredible!"

"H-Huh? What are you guys mumbling about? I don't feel anything!" Tyla stated.

"That is because both Gohei and I have enough Ki to sense the Ki of others. Gohei, that is why you can sense things that other's cannot, though I do not know why you possess this ability, as only a martial artist should."

"I-I see." Gohei was still confused about this whole 'Ki' business. Axel's explanation was fine enough though. "S-So, someone's coming then?! Who?! Is it another one of those Invaders?!"

Axel was unable to give a response. Rather, he focused his attention to the abrupt rumbling that had consumed the area. There was a distinct sound along with the disturbance and Gohei and Tyla knew it well. It was the hum of one of the Invader's ships approaching and judging from how loud it was, the craft must have been very close. Fear began to grip both children. They knew precisely what happened when the Invaders showed up. The destruction, the lack of respect for life they showed. If they discovered their location, there was no doubt in either of their minds that it would be the end.

"You two! Follow me!" ordered Axel, as he dashed to the foot of the cave.

Upon the three arriving outside, they could see a massive, crimson ship landing in a clearing between the mountains. Without a doubt, it belonged to the Invaders. The huge power source was coming from inside the vessel, Axel was assured of that much too.

"Oh no! What are **they** doing here?!" yelled Tyla.

Axel grunted some. "Something tells me they are looking for something."

"Or **someone**," chimed Gohei. "Axel, you think they're looking for you?"

"...Perhaps. That is always a possibility."

"Even so, how would they know we're here?"

Tyla was positive that they had been very careful in their escape and she was sure they hadn't been followed. There was a chance that the Invaders were just here by chance, yet she had a feeling this wasn't the case.

"Do you remember those devices that those soldiers had on their faces?" Axel gestured to his eye and both Gohei and Tyla understood what he was talking about. "I believe they have the ability to read Ki. I do not know how, but that is how they have been finding their way around this planet and how they can tell how strong someone is just by looking at them. I do not believe it would be a stretch to say that is how they found us." Axel closed his eyes and hastily thought up a plan. It wasn't much, but it was better than standing idly by. "Gohei, stay here with Tyla. I am going to go down there and see if I can talk some sense into these people. I would prefer to avoid any violence, if at all possible."

"W-What?! A-Are you insane?!" Gohei cried.

Tyla nodded. "H-He's right! You can't go down there by yourself! They'll **kill** you!"

"S-She's right, Axel! These guys don't care what you have to say! I'm sure all those people they killed tried to do the same and look what happened to them! Look, just let me go with you and I'll..."

"I understand, Gohei...Tyla. Still, I will be fine. If anything happens, Gohei, I am counting on you to protect Tyla. Do you understand?"

Gohei hesitated, but eventually he replied, "A-Alright! Just **be careful**!"

"T-That's right, Axel!" Tyla added. "Please, don't die!"

"Thank you both. I will be back shortly."

With that, Axel slowly flew down into the clearing, just as some kind of hatch on the ship opened. Axel was mere inches away from the craft now and a ramp lunged out from within. It was then that a multitude of alien soldiers started to pile out and they formed a perimeter around the small area Axel stood without acknowledging his presence. In their wake came another, a rather large individual. No, to say that this man was sizable was an understatement. He absolutely **towered** over everyone else in the area, Axel included. A rug was spread out in front of this person by another soldier and he gradually walked out, surveying his new surroundings. Axel wasn't quite sure what to make of him.

_He's the one. He's the massive power level Gohei and I were sensing. He must be the one in charge here. I'll have to stay on guard then._

After blocking the sunlight from his eyesight, the large, muscular man inverted his sights on Axel and grinned as if he had stumbled across some buried treasure. As he walked forward in Axel's direction, Axel remained motionless, simply waiting to see what would happen next. This man's appearance was rather strange compared to everyone else, disregarding his mammoth frame. His armor was slightly different. While it bore the same colors as the others, it had a certain insignia, one Axel made out as the face of some unknown entity. This man also had a pure white cape attached to his back. Whether this meant something significant or if it was just a fashion statement was beyond Axel. Soon enough, the giant was close enough that he could look down upon Axel.

"Greetings, young warrior. At last we meet face to face," he said in a rather suave tone that didn't quite match his size. Axel did not reply to the greeting and the man chortled as such. "Not one for words, are you? My name is Plinto. Indeed, I believe you were the one who interfered with our operation in that city over yonder, am I correct?"

Again, there was no reply. Axel merely stood firm, scowling at this Plinto. There was just something about this hulking soldier that ticked Axel off enough that he didn't even want to open his mouth. The act was rather amusing in Plinto's opinion and he brushed his red mullet with his hand, stepping away from Axel some. He then proceeded to walk around the youth, inspecting him up and down. Axel remained still, as he waited for Plinto to get his fill. Finally, Plinto came back around before hitting a button on the red lensed device across his left eye. A few computation came up, with Axel noting that the machine was probably scanning his power at the moment.

"Hmm...twenty? That can't be right," Plinto noted. "Either my Scouter is malfunctioning or you're suppressing your strength. Indeed. I've never heard of someone who could do that before...Mister...?"

"...Axel. I have a question for you, Plinto. Are you the leader of this invasion force?"

"Me? Yes...and no."

Axel raised an eyebrow. "What? What do you mean?"

"You see, my dear Earthling, there are **four** generals in charge of this invasion. Indeed, I am merely one of them. Actually, I was sent here by another of the generals to capture someone of particular interest. I was sent here to capture **you**, Mister Axel."

Axel lowered his head. "...I see. And what business do you have with me?"

"...I believe it would be best if you did not ask so many questions and simply come along quietly, Mister Axel. Indeed."

Plinto snapped his fingers, in turn causing the troops at his stead to surround Axel. He had half expected this to happen, although he had hoped to settle things without things turning out so...iffy. Sighing, he held his hands out toward the beings around them, causing them to take defensive positions. He then faced Plinto once more in an effort to reason with him before things got out of hand.

"Plinto. I have a request. Leave this planet. Take your men and go. I do not wish to hurt any of you here, so I am asking you and whoever else you are aligned with to leave."

"...I see. Indeed, you are a curious one. ...Unfortunately, I cannot accept your terms. Now then...men! Take this man into custody! Try to make sure he's alive though, alright?"  
The soldiers, with their orders in hand, charged inward for Axel. The young warrior enveloped himself in a blue aura just then and when he shouted, a massive wave of air was launched from his hands. The force from it blew back those around him save Plinto and the only thing that remained was a few piles of groaning bodies. Axel looked around and apologized to his victims under his breath before shifting focus once again to Plinto.

"If you are really trying to capture me, it is going to take more than that."

Plinto began to clap. "Hmph. You're absolutely right. Indeed. Perhaps I'll have to deal with you myself after all. Note though that I don't like dirtying my hands with the likes of you."

Axel shifted his body into a fighter's posture. "I see. That is too bad. If I beat you, will you and these other generals take your men and get off of this planet?"

"As I stated before, I cannot do that. I admire your persistence though. Indeed. Even if I personally wished this invasion to be over, the orders for this operation have been decreed by Lord Icer himself. There is nothing you or anyone can do to stop this now!"

"...Icer. Who is that? Your men stated that person's name before. Tell me! Who is this 'Lord Icer?!'"

Instead of an answer, Plinto wagged his finger about. "I believe I told you before that it would be best if you came along quietly, Mister Axel. Indeed. I think that's enough questions out of you."

"Tch! We will see if you are so tight lipped after this!"

Like a bullet out of a gun, Axel dashed from the spot he resided and into the air, delivering a kick to the side of Plinto head. It was a clean hit, yet Plinto didn't react in the slightest, he smirking at Axel's wasted effort. The young warrior, alarmed, flipped back a bit to distance himself.

"H-How?! I put enough force into that kick to...!"

"Don't be mistaken, Mister Axel. That was a fantastic kick. Indeed it was." Plinto stretched his neck out some as if Axel's attack had only been a minor prick. "If I were anyone else, perhaps that blow would have had some effect. Unfortunately, I am a Brutian, so attacks like those are quite...ineffective."

"A...Brutian?" The term was a foreign one for Axel.

"Indeed. Indeed. We Brutians not only possess a good amount of strength, our skin is that much more durable that other race's. Do you see now? You won't even be able to put a scratch on me, let alone defeat me, Mister Axel."

Axel couldn't help but groan at this news. If Plinto was telling the truth, he was going to be in for a rough time. Even so, he knew that he couldn't back down now, not with the enemy standing right before him. He would defeat this Plinto and the other Four Generals if that is what it would take to stop this invasion.

It was rather tough for Gohei and Tyla to do nothing more than watch from the cliff they were on, but there was really nothing they could do to assist Axel right now. They watched as Axel's opening blow was rendered useless and a sense of panic came over them both. Still, it was hard to tell whether Axel or his mysterious opponent had the advantage here.

"Man, I knew it was a bad idea for him to go down there alone," Gohei muttered.

"D-Do you think he'll be okay?" asked Tyla.

"...Maybe? We really don't know how strong Axel is. There's a good chance he was holding back against those goons from earlier."

"I-I guess you're right, Gohei, but just look at how big that other guy is!"

"Yeah, he must drink a lot of milk alright. Still, I get the feeling that we shouldn't judge this fight based on who's bigger, Tyla."

Tyla bit her bottom lip. "I-I sure how you're right, Gohei. The most we can do from here is cheer Axel on and hope for the best."

Gohei wasn't so sure. "U-Uh...yeah."

END


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Backing down was not on Axel's list of options right now. With the Brutian Plinto standing right before him, it was do or die. Defeating Plinto here could be the key to crippling this entire invasion and if that meant an end to all this bloodshed, he would have to give this everything he had. Of course, this was mostly in theory. Actually toppling the large obstacle in front of him was easier said than done.

Axel and Plinto proceeded to circle one another as if waiting for the other to make the next move. Axel wasn't sure if victory was even possible here because of Plinto's massive strength, but there had to be something he could try to get past his opponent's sturdy defenses. Almost reading his mind, Plinto snickered.

"If you wish, Mister Axel, you can attack me from whatever angle you wish. Indeed, it will not matter in the end."

"Is that so?" A blue aura of Ki enshrouded Axel abruptly. "I believe I will take you up on that offer!"

Channeling all his energy, Axel began to scream with power and the Ki around him increased in size. Rocks and debris around the young warrior were dragged up and Plinto noted that the ground underneath his feet was trembling. The Scouter on the Brutian's head picked up a reading of nine thousand before exploding right there, Axel's tremendous power overloading it. Plinto did not flinch from this, he alternatively looking on while his opponent grew stronger and stronger.

_...I didn't think this human was this powerful. Indeed. Whatever the case, I still have the complete advantage here._

Axel was ready to attack soon enough and behind dazzling speed, he flew directly in front of Plinto and landed a furious series of jabs. He finished this off with another side kick aimed directly at his foe's neck. Every blow hit its mark and to Gohei viewing on, it appeared Plinto was just unable to keep up.

"Alright, Axel!" the adolescent boy shouted. "I knew this would be over in a flash!"

Sadly, Axel didn't share Gohei's enthusiasm. His leg remained stiff as a board while he realized in a horrified fashion that Plinto hadn't been hurt in the slightest by his assault.

_I-Impossible! I put all of my force into those punches!_

"Mister Axel, I believe I informed you that such tactics would be worthless against me."

Plinto backhanded Axel upside his face with the force of a truck suddenly. He spun a few instances and then skidded across the ground before he ultimately came to a halt. For a short time, he was unable to lift even a finger and his form quivered thanks to that last attack. That was without a doubt the hardest he had been hit in his entire life, even after exchanging blows with his Master.

"H-Huh?! What the...?! Axel!" Gohei was perplexed at what he just witnessed. "There's no way that guy could have taken so many of Axel's punches and be alright! I-Is he using some kind of trick?!"

Tyla gasped. "Oh no! I-Is Axel okay?!"

"C-Come on, Axel! Get up! Grind that jerk's face into the mud!"

Axel's legs were more like mud and they were hardly doing anything he wanted them to, though he was able to stand on them following a short pause in the action. The spot where he had been hit was bleeding abundantly, so he wiped the blood aside with his wrist.

"Well, that is going to smart in the morning..."

"Good, Mister Axel. You're getting up. Indeed, I thought you were already down for the count," Plinto remarked. "I expect more out of you, so don't go dying on me just yet."

Smacking his lips, Axel suddenly slammed his wrist together. Orange Ki then gathered inside the palms of his hands, as he made sure to put enough energy into this technique to put Plinto down for good. Plinto himself stopped in his tracks and smiled, excitingly awaiting to see what Axel had in store for him. The earth lingering beneath Axel cracked and crumbled because of his energy and the mass he was gathering continued to increase.

"Um...Gohei? What's Axel doing now?" Tyla inquired.

Unable to speak, Gohei's jaw dropped, while the light from Axel's blast shined brightly across his face. The amount of Ki circling about the air was enough to overwhelm him.

Gathering what he needed, Axel screamed, "RYUHO!"

The orange energy ripped from his fingertips in the shape of a beam and the blast whizzed toward Plinto in a frantic fashion. The Ryuho got nearer and nearer and despite this, Plinto remained where he was, almost egging it on. Finally, the Ryuho connected and a detonation went off at the source. Gohei and Tyla braced themselves from a flood of wind. A smokescreen shrouded all.

"Did that...get him?"

Axel's lungs snatched up any air it could get. He lowered his outstretched arms and saw that he couldn't tell if Plinto had been finished or not thanks to the smoke. Once things settled down, he got his answer, although he did not expect the sounds of clapping to be lying in wait. His eyes widened and a loud gasp escaped the youth when Plinto was revealed as the source of the racket. An **unharmed** Plinto.

"Very good, Mister Axel! Indeed! Very good!" Plinto his clap while smirking ever so haughtily. "That honestly pinched me a tad bit!"

"W-What the...?! He isn't hurt at all?!" Axel was left baffled. He put everything he had into that blast and it hadn't even scraped Plinto's armor. "Tch! U-Unbelievable! I know he stated he was durable, but this is insane!"

"I must admit that I'm becoming a tad bit...bored with you, Mister Axel. Indeed, I had presumed you would have put up more of a challenge. Shall I take the offensive then?"

Plinto flew in, mirroring a lion on the prowl. It was somewhat startling to see a man of his mammoth girth moving so nimbly. Before Axel even had time to react, a knee was driven right between his eyes. He was thrown back, but Plinto wasn't done there. The Brutian slammed his fist into the earth and amazingly this caused a multitude of spikes made of pure earth to shoot up. Recovering, Axel hastily dodged these new threats, unsure as to how Plinto had spawned them. There was no time for questions, considering Plinto was on the attack again. He thrust both his hands downward this time and twice as many spikes jutted out.

"W-What kind of technique is this?!" Axel cried, whilst he dodged a multitude of sharp pillars. "I need to keep moving. If I am impaled by one of those..."

As he flipped backward, Plinto punched the land one last time and a spike of epic proportions appeared. It was so big that it cast a shadow down on everything below it. Axel was taken off guard and as such, he was overtaken by the object. Gohei and Tyla gazed up at the formation of stone in awe and horror.

"Axel!" Tyla screamed. "Oh my God! AXEL!"

This was too much for Gohei to bear. He curled his fingers against one another and shook violently. There had to be **something** he could do to help. Of course, against someone like Plinto, he would be disposed of almost instantly. Even with that in mind, he still wanted to go down there.

_D-Damn it! Come on, Axel! Please, don't be dead! _

Plinto leered at his handiwork and chuckled. "Of course, there was no way you would be able to withstand my Invincible Rock Fist, Mister Axel. Indeed."

"RYUNARU!"

The tower of rock was broken open the moment Axel's voice bellowed from inside. He shot outward, blanketed in an citrus cloak of energy for some reason. Just as he did, a series of beeps resounded from Plinto's pocket and he pulled out yet another Scouter, he remembering that he had brought a spare, a newer model.

"T-Twelve thousand?! H-His power level just shot up to twelve thousand all of a sudden!" he proclaimed.

Plinto blinked and it was soon apparent this was a mistake because as soon as he did, Axel was mere inches from his person. A punch rocketed the Brutian through the sky and Axel made haste to pursue him. He streaked ahead of his opponent and connected with a kick, one that crashed Plinto into the mountain he had moments ago created. Landing, Axel exhaled deeply and the energy around him vanished.

Everything had occurred so fast that Gohei was having a hard time processing it. He rubbed his eyelids and wondered if he needed glasses.

"W-Whoa! W-What just happened?!"

"That's what I was gonna ask you!" said Tyla. "How did Axel get so fast all of a sudden?! I blinked and it was all over!"  
"I-I don't know. His Ki shot up all of a sudden, but now it's back to normal!"

Plinto wasn't finished and Axel knew it.

"...I did not think I would have to use that technique..."

Axel watched as what was left of Plinto's creation in front of him was blown to smithereens and from the debris came a cheerful Plinto. He had definitely felt the effects of Axel's offense this time, as a series of gashes and cuts covered his muscular frame.

"Indeed, Mister Axel. That was the type of 'show' I hoped you would perform!"

"Enough of this, Plinto!" Axel said. "Haven't you had enough yet?!"

"What's this? Giving up, Mister Axel? Indeed, we can't quit just yet!"

"Tch! Have it your way! RYUNARU!"

The orange Ki resurfaced on Axel's person and the battle was on once more. The two initiated a hard fought dual in the skies, exchanging blows in a manic manner. Much to Plinto's surprise, he was having trouble keeping up with his opponent, who he had been dominating up until this point. Nonetheless, neither fighter could lay a finger on the other. Axel eventually threw a left hook that missed and Plinto's countenance drooped.

"You've gotten faster, Mister Axel," he stated. "Indeed, but can you dodge this?!"

Plinto was ready to end things and so he loosed a punch directed right at Axel's cheek. Axel was able to parry this, however, and while grasping his foe's arm, he began spinning around, with Plinto along for the ride. He was rotating so fast that the air around him was kicked up and a small tornado was formed. Gohei and Tyla had to hang on from dear life, as high speed currents of air raged all around. Plinto came sailing out of the event and Axel made sure to stay close behind. Landing a savage ax fist, Axel drove the Brutian straight into the ground. Though Plinto was able to land on his two feet, his eyelids heightened when he saw Axel preparing another Ryuho. His Scouter was practically screaming at him at this point.

"H-His power level has gone up to **sixteen thousand** now?!"

"RYUHO!"

The most the Brutian could do at this distance was attempt to block it and he held his arms up to do so. The blast met him and it gradually began to drive him into a corner. He was being overpowered.

"H-How can this be?! I-I can't hold this one back?!"

Indeed he couldn't. The Ryuho overtook him right there, blowing up all unfortunate enough to be in the surrounding area and rendering it nothing more than a smoldering depression in the earth.

"T-This is nuts!" Gohei screamed, he shielding Tyla from the explosion. "This is the kind of stuff you see in action movies or something!"

"D-Do you think that Plinto guy has lost now?" said Tyla.

"I-I don't know! Let's just hope Axel doesn't end up blowing us up with him!"

Once all the commotion had subsided, Axel could literally feel all his strength leave him, as he was unable to even fly. His body tumbled down and beads of sweat saturated his forehead. The aura around him dissipated as well and even though he had been the attacker, it was as if he had been on the receiving end of that blast.

"I-I see now. That is why my Master told me not to use the Ryunaru technique for an extended period of time...like this. All of...my Ki feels like it is gone..."

He supposed in the end, it didn't matter. He had won the match. Plinto was no more. This revelation should have been nothing short of a relief to him, yet he couldn't help but feel a tangent of regret for finishing his opponent off. Axel never was one for violence and he had hoped to settle this affair in a more 'civilized' manner.

"Forgive me, Plinto. You left me with no other choice."

"N-Not so fast, Mister Axel! I wouldn't start praying for my sake just yet!"

A fatigued Axel sluggishly moved over to the sound of Plinto's rugged voice. It was obvious the Brutian hadn't been dispatched of just yet. Axel's last Ryuho had taken it's toll on him all the same and the armor that had been protecting him had been destroyed, leaving solely the black suit he had been wearing underneath, which was badly tattered. Axel, in the back of his mind, had figured Plinto wouldn't have been defeated so easily and as such, his return was not too much of a bombshell. Panting, he tried his best to persevere.

_G-Gah! M-My body! I can hardly move it! To think the Ryunaru would take such a toll on me! And to think he could withstand my full power Ryuho! I severely underestimated my opponent this time. I merely pray it will not be my downfall..._

"Mister Axel, you appear to be running on empty! Indeed! You look positively exhausted. Would you care for a breather?" Plinto said tauntingly. "I'll admit though, you're the first to have ever injured me this gravely. Indeed, I'll have to pay you back for this bleeding forehead of mine."

Axel found himself chuckling. "Perhaps. Strangely, this battle has been quite satisfying. Never in my life have I had to fight such a powerful opponent. 'Exhilarating' is the word, I believe. I want to keep going, yet I understand that fighting like this is also pointless. Plinto, let us end this before we destroy one another. I do not wish to kill you."

"Kill me? Indeed, you're still going on about that, Mister Axel?"

Gohei could barely remain in one place. "Come on! How could **anyone** have survived that blast?! Oh man! My stomach is starting to hurt!"

Tyla agreed. "Just look at Axel! He looks like he's ready to collapse! B-But...why? Plinto couldn't have hurt him that much, right?"

Gohei was beginning to lose his mind. Standing on the sidelines like this was harder that he would have ever imagined. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him to jump into this one, to help out Axel in whatever way he could. Acting on this impulse, Gohei took a step forward out of the cave...

"Gohei! Stop!"

Tyla's warning obstructed him and he shot her a glance of vexation. "B-But, Tyla...!"

"I know **exactly** what you're thinking! If you go down there now, you **will** be killed!"

"M-Maybe, but I have to do **something**, Tyla! I don't think Axel's gonna make it if I don't at least try and help him!"

"I...I know you're right, but still! You'll just get in Axel's way if you go down there and try to help him! You can't fight someone like that big guy down there! W-We should just watch and wait! Axel will think of something, I just know it!"

Gohei's pride was hit hard by Tyla's words. She was absolutely right. If he tried to help Axel now, he would be nothing more than a hindrance, a distraction. Was it really just his place to sit back and watch as his friends died one by one? For the moment, he no other choice but to heed Tyla's words and sit back.

"Well then, Mister Axel? Are you ready for Round Two?"

Plinto lunged his fists into the soil and a row of pillars sprouted up. The 'Invincible Rock Fist' if Axel remembered correctly. He had long since grown tired of this act and needed to find some way to counter it. He jumped around a few times and expertly avoided the spikes that were attempting to skewer him. Despite this, he was oblivious to the ones shooting up from behind him. The spikes merged together and formed into two separate walls and they managed to sandwich Axel between each other. His broken body came flying from the rubble and body hit the ground, unmoving. Gohei and Tyla saw this unfold and they rightly feared for the worst. The strike Axel just took was the nastiest thing they had ever seen. Plinto had to agree, except he was quite elated.

"Not bad, Mister Axel. Indeed, you put up more of a fight than I gave you credit for when we first met. I assumed this fight would have lasted about five minutes. You've somehow manage to extend it to fifteen."

Axel was incapable of responding to Plinto's less than kind words. He wasn't even able to move. The top part of his gi had been torn apart and lacerations draped every inch of his brown skin. The most he could do at this point was writhe on the floor in total anguish. To make matters worse, Plinto was gradually approaching. It was hard to tell which angle he was coming from because his vision was fading in and out. That last blow had hit him harder than he would have liked, it seemed. Plinto leered down at him quietly at first before grinning, clutching Axel's face in his massive hands, and lifting him up. In Axel's current state, there was little he could do to resist. Without warning, Plinto delivered a savage knee straight into Axel's midsection, causing a surge of blood to spew from his mouth.

"Oh yes, I do believe I heard a few of your ribs breaking, Mister Axel. Indeed! You're much more fragile than you look. I wonder how long it would take to break you completely..."

Axel knew he had to act. Activating his Ryunaru, he deftly drove his forehead into Plinto's and the effect was enough that the Brutian released him. The time to strike was now and Axel threw a wild left, hoping to catch Plinto off guard. The blow landed alright, though it did little to slow the target down, he retaliating with a punch of his own. It was much too fast for Axel to avoid in his current state and he was nearly decapitated, as his body skipped across the ground like a rock on water. Plinto followed this up by zipping ahead of Axel and booting him high into the air. Finally, he shot in front of his victim, opened his mouth wide open, and unleashed a yellow blast of Ki that hit Axel dead on. His smoking figure spiraled toward the earth before slamming into it with tremendous force.

"AXEL!" Tyla couldn't watch on any longer. As tears streamed down her face, she shielded her eyes and sobbed quietly. "H-He's going to **die** if this keeps up!"

"A-Axel..."

This was bad, **really** bad. If someone didn't do something to help Axel, he really **was** going to perish. Gohei snarled beneath his breath at this predicament. He highly doubted anyone else would show up to provide assistance, which in turn left him with a single option. Clenching his fists, he gulped and contemplated if he was truly making the correct decision.

"G-Gohei, what are you...?" It did not take long for Tyla to notice him stirring.

"...T-Tyla, stay **here**! I'll...er...I'll be right back!"

"H-Huh?! What are you talking about?!"

"Well then, Mister Axel, how about we end this?"

Plinto dug his fingers into the earth and as veins popped out of his every limb, he used his monstrous strength to lift out a **huge** chunk of stone from the ground. Its shadow cast down upon Axel and the most he could do in its presence was moan. He was in an intense amount of pain so fleeing, let alone defending himself, was a near impossibility. He never imagined he would meet his end like this and frankly, it was as if he had let his Master down. Master Ryuzaki had given up everything to train him in the art of the Ryu Jin'ei and it was all going to go to waste here. He weakly reached his arm out toward the Brutian in a futile effort to stop him. How could he simply throw in the towel like this?

"Heh heh. How humorous, Mister Axel. Indeed. Persistent until the end, I see."

Plinto swatted the limb away prior to kicking Axel in the ribcage. Emitting a shrill cry, Axel doubled over in anguish.

"Indeed, I was ordered to bring you in alive, but I'm beginning to think that it would be much more...**enjoyable** if I finished you off here. I'll merely tell the other General that killing you was unavoidable." When he got no response from Axel, he snickered once more. "Did I break your vocal cords, Mister Axel? Indeed, I must admit that I'm surprised you're still breathing right now. Well, whatever the case, I believe it is time for us to say our farewells. Indeed, it was a pleasure fighting a warrior as powerful as you. Now then, I'll..."

The boulder hovering atop Plinto was suddenly shattered into a million pieces right as it would have done the same to Axel. The pieces rained down around the two and Plinto blinked a couple of times out of downright confusion. Axel certainly hadn't done this, but it soon became apparent who had. Beside him was Gohei, who had managed to smash the gigantic rock using a single kick seconds before. The young boy slid across the dirt to balance himself, flailing his arms about. The whole scene was a tad bit surreal and everyone looked on at Gohei as if they had seen a ghost.

"G-Go...Gohei! What are you...d-doing here?! Y-You cannot...fight this man!" Axel uttered.

Gohei's teeth were chattering so hard, he could hardly speak. "I-I-I d-don't...I don't know w-why I-I came out here! M-My body just m-moved on i-it's own!"

Plinto asked, "Hmm...and who might you be? Indeed, I mistook you for a little Mister Axel. If you are here to protect him, I must note that was the stupidest decision you've ever made, little boy."

What in the world **was** he doing? He was certain he had known prior to coming out onto the battlefield, but now his mind was nothing more than a blank canvas. Maybe it had something to do with Plinto towering over him, the Brutian grinning.

_W-Was he always this __**big**__?! H-He looked so small from up on the cliff!_

This was just like him. Cowering at the first sign of danger. Was he really supposed to be of any use to anyone this way? Obviously, there was no way he could beat someone like Plinto. That fact he was well aware of. So, what was he trying to do here? He wanted to prove that he wasn't a coward. That was it. He wanted to show Axel and Tyla and everyone else that he was brave enough to stand up for himself, that he was strong enough to protect the ones he loved. If he didn't do something right this moment, Axel was going to die. No, not just Axel. Tyla and everyone else on Earth would be destroyed by Plinto and the rest of the Invaders. Aware of this, why was it that he continued to waver?

"T-Tch! H-Hey! Ugly!" he shouted at Plinto, straightaway regretting it "S-Step away from Axel or I swear I'll...!"

"You'll what? Defeat me? **Kill** me? Indeed, you must have a lot of guts to challenge me, boy. Still, you can't be an ordinary human. There's no way you could have destroyed that boulder if that was the case. Hmm...what shall we do with you then?"

Gohei held his breath, uncertain of what to do next.

_J-Just calm down, Gohei! I-If you don't do anything...this guy will...!_

"Hmm...I suppose I have no choice but to do away with you, boy. Indeed." Plinto's tone was casual, despite his threat. "I honestly have no qualms about killing a child, but I am feeling rather...merciful today. Indeed, I'll finish you off quickly, boy."

_F-Finish me off?!_

"N-No! I-I won't let you!" Axel tried his hardest to disregard his wounds and protect Gohei, but the moment he attempted to stand, a surge of pain rushed through his very core. "G-Gah! This...this body of mine won't move!" Cringing, he leered at the blurring image of Gohei. "G-Gohei! P-Please! There's...there's nothing more you can do here! Just take Tyla and...and get out of here! I-I'll try to hold him off for as long as I can!"

"Gohei! Please! Get out of there!" Tyla exclaimed from high atop Axel's cave. "I-I don't want to lose you too! Not like everyone else at the orphanage! Please, come back!"

"H-Heed her words, Gohei! Just run while you have the chance!"

"G-GOHEI!"

What was he expected to **do**? Run with his tail in between his legs?! The shouts and cries of his friends resounded in these mountains, tainting Gohei's mind with doubt. No one believed he could do this. No one believed he could make a difference. It wasn't all that shocking. He had never been able to do so beforehand, so what made this situation any different? That's right. To everyone around him, he was nothing more than the same old worthless Gohei. It was funny. A few hours ago, he would have found it acceptable to be labeled as such, but now...

"Y-You're both wrong!" The young Gohei had heard enough. Axel and Tyla were silenced by his sharp tone and taking a bold step forward, he declared, "I...I know that I'm nothing but a chicken sometimes and I'll admit, I'm scared out of my mind right now! B-But...but if I don't at least **try** and do something, I'm always going to regret not doing anything! J-Just sit back and watch! I-I'll show you!" He next pointed to Plinto. "I-I'm going to stop you! You aren't going to be killing anyone here today!"

Even if the others doubted him, Gohei knew the truth. The cries of his friends behind him were not going to slow him down this time because he had made up his mind. That's right. For once in his sorry life, he was going to commit to something. His legs had a mind of their own and he began running as fast and as hard as he could at Plinto. Was he being suicidal? Absolutely. Was this the single dumbest thing he had ever tried? There was no doubt in his mind. His heart was beating like a drum and if it popped out of his chest, he wouldn't have been shocked. Still, he ignored the sense of terror running about his veins and decided that he would prove everyone wrong. Mostly though, he wanted to show to himself that he had could do this, that he could fight too.

Cocking his arm back, he threw the hardest punch his tiny frame could muster. Plinto made no effort to stop him, but this soon ended up being a major miscalculation. The attack was not only effective, it was downright bone shattering. The power behind it was enough to spawn a very powerful ripple of air. Axel, Tyla, and nearly everything else was swept back by it. Plinto staggered backward, he clutched his chest, and he was even struggling to breathe. Neither Tyla nor Axel could believe this was happening. Hell, Gohei himself was astounded.

"G-Gah! How could...how could I be hurt by such a weakling?!" Plinto declared. He let loose a disturbing cough afterward.

"G-Gohei..." Axel sat up and his stared at Gohei. "W-Where did he get such power?!"

Tyla added, "O-Oh my! I-I didn't think Gohei was **that** strong!"

The stupor of his actions wore off and Gohei's face lit up like he were a kid in a candy store. He hadn't figured he would be able to hurt Plinto **this** much. He would certainly take it. Was he dreaming? It sure seemed like he was and he pinched himself just to check. It was as if someone else were controlling his body right now, with him along for the ride. Who knew being courageous could feel so...good? He felt as if he could take the whole world on for that matter. Never again would he have to be afraid.

"W-Whoa! I-I...I really did it!" he excitedly claimed.

His celebration was cut short when Plinto suddenly stood. His eyes were tearing up, but it wasn't because he was reacting to his injury. No, he was **laughing**.

"Hahahaha! Oh goodness! Indeed, I didn't think I would be able to keep that up for much longer!" he stated, nearly unable to contain himself. "I-Indeed, the looks on your faces were just...priceless!"

Gohei froze in place when he noticed Plinto looming over him, having closed in on him out of nowhere. Wasn't the Brutian still reeling from the young boy's assault? And what in the world was so funny? Gohei simply didn't get it.

"Hmm...by the look of confusion on your young face, I can tell you're miffed. Indeed, allow me to explain! I was merely **kidding** about the whole 'being injured' thing! Did you **seriously **think you could wound me, boy? Goodness, what a laugh!"

Impossible. Gohei gasped at Plinto's statement. His efforts had been for nothing in the end? Wasn't his bravery enough to overcome these odds? It wasn't fair. He had tried his best and what did he have to show for it? This was just like at the orphanage. No matter how hard Gohei wished to fit in and no matter how hard he tried to earn the respect of his peers, he received nothing more than mocking sounds of laughter and ridicule. He fell to his knees and cried softly to himself. His tears wet the earth at his feet, while he nailed his fist into the ground.

"D-Dammit! DAMMIT! **DAMMIT**!"

Axel and Tyla wanted to look away, as Gohei repeatedly punched the ground in frustration. 'Worthless' was nowhere close to the term he desired to use to describe himself.

"You needn't cry, boy. Indeed, I will be finishing this now," Plinto said, inching closer. "Hmph. Indeed, I'm just doing you a favor, young man. I'll put you out of your misery."

There was no remorse whatsoever in Plinto's next move. With a flash, his knee was driven into Gohei's face. Time seemed to slow down to those watching on, as Gohei's body sailed a good distance across the sky. Consciousness started to fade away from him and his pupils gradually vanished. Even so, a smile spread across his lips as gravity slammed him into the earth. Why was he grinning? He could not come up with a straight answer, he instead deciding that the blow must have jarred his brain.

"Ha...haha! I-I'm a total loser...a-aren't I?" he mumbled. He reached out for the clear, blue sky hovering above him. If he could just reach the clouds high up, maybe he could... "Heh. I-I stood up for myself...didn't I? I-I actually did! T-Tyla...y-you don't have to..."

His limb fell limp beside him and his eyelids slammed shut. Gohei's static body lied quietly betwixt the dirt and a lone of gust of wind rustled his clothing. It grew strangely quiet subsequently and it was only then that the event registered in Axel and Tyla's psyche.

"GOHEI-IIIIIIIIIII-I!" Tyla's voice echoed about the mountains and it might have been loud enough to wake even the dead. She slumped to her knees, finding standing far too cumbersome right now. "N-NOOOOO-O! GOHEI!"

"G-Gohei!" Axel found new life in his legs, he dashing to a limp Gohei. He then picked him and tried to shake him awake. There was no response. "Gohei! Come on! Wake up! You have to wake up, Gohei! GOHEI!" It was then Axel made another startling discovery. "M-My God! His Ki...it is...it is...gone!"

That meant only one thing. Axel was unable to control himself any longer and before he knew it, tears were falling down his cheeks. Gohei did not deserve such a fate. Putting him back down, Axel made the boy a silent promise. His death would not be in vain. Dying was no longer a concern to Axel. Anger, frustration, and sadness overloaded his emotions and while shaking, all he could think about was ripping Plinto to shreds.

"G-Gohei...forgive me. I should have gotten you to safety. But now..."

"Mister Axel! I'm shocked! Indeed, I was certain I had broken every bone in your body, yet here you are moving around. Oh, you shouldn't trouble yourself with that poor creature there. Indeed, I've already sent him to the next world. Do not fret, however. If you would like, I could send you there as well so he has some company. It's the least I could do," Plinto stated in the same uncaring intonation as earlier.

"...What in the **hell** did you just say?"

"Did I stutter, Mister Axel? Indeed, I..."

"Y-You...SON OF A BITCH!"

That was the last straw. Axel's already muscular frame doubled in size the moment he clenched his teeth together. Rocks and other debris rose around him in an odd fashion, something Plinto took notice off. Ki started to swell up inside him as well and Axel started to shout at the top of his voice, Plinto taking a few careful steps away from him. While he did so, Axel's hair began to flash between black and a yellow-golden hue, like it couldn't make up its mind. His eyes mirrored this bizarre metamorphosis, eventually settling into a blueish-green. An aura matching his hair also phased in and out and the change Axel was undergoing was steadily escalating. The proof came from Plinto's heavily damaged Scouter, it beeping loud enough to shatter the wearer's ear drums.

"T-This cannot be!" Plinto yelled while looking at the readings. "H-His power level! H-How is it increasing like this?! I-Indeed, I've never...never seen anything like this! WHY WON'T IT STOP INCREASING?!"

"YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, PLINTO-OOOOOO-O!"

The Brutian was blown back when the Ki practically erupting off Axel swept him off his feet. Axel's metamorphosis quickly finished, with his mane remaining the golden color and each strand standing up on its end. His fiery aura settled down some, though it persisted to burn up the air around it. Plinto leered into his green eyes and saw something that rattled him. Blood lust. It didn't quite fit compared to Axel's normally calm expression. No, he was glaring as hard as he possibly could at the Brutian.

Plinto struggled to say, "G-Gah! Y-You! I know what you are! B-But...how is this even possible?! I-Indeed, just a few moments ago, you looked ready to submit! H-How...?!"

A weeping Tyla took heed to Axel's influence and leered at him in wonderment. "H-Huh? A-Axel...? H-How come he looks like that now?!"

Plinto's Scouter wasn't even remotely done calculating Axel's power level when it exploded violently. Plinto ignored this and fear encompassed his whole being, he running as far as he could from the premises. It was unfortunate, however, that he couldn't get too far. Axel, not batting an eyelash, materialized in front of him. This caused Plinto to lurch before falling over. Those eyes...Plinto could not get them out of his head. Why did Axel have to stare him down with those **eyes**? It was like they were searching down into his very soul, squeezing the life out of him. They were the eyes of a **demon**.

"...Where do you think you are going?" he said in a deepened manner.

Plinto had to back away. "W-What?! M-Mister Axel...what **are** you?! You can't be a...!"

Axel bitterly pointed and announced, "...I am your **destroyer**."

Taking one step, Axel again came out of everyone's sight for an instant, he reappearing in front of Plinto and unloading a wrathful combination of punches and kicks. Plinto could not stop him and he mirrored a rag doll from the way he was being pummeled. A number of his bones were heard snapping during the onslaught and showing no mercy, Axel finished this off by impacting his knuckles into the center of Plinto's torso. The Brutian half near hacked up his own liver, as he gagged on the blood steadily rising upward in his throat.

"That was for **Gohei**!" Axel said.

There was no way this happening. Plinto, trying to regain his composure, told himself this over and over just to ensure that it was the truth. His teeth, the ones that remained, were stained crimson, as he shoved the rows against each other. He had been in complete control of this fight mere minutes ago, so how was it even conceivable to be beaten this badly by a weakling like Axel? The young warrior shot Plinto yet another glance.

"T-Those...**damned** eyes! YOU BLOODY SAIYAN!"

Saiyan? Axel did not react to the name, but Tyla did. Was that what Axel was, a Saiyan? It did nothing to explain what had happened to him, though Tyla understood that it was enough to outclass Plinto.

"...Pray to whatever deity it is you worship, Plinto. I am going to be killing you now."

Axel placed his palms in front of him in a familiar display. He was prepping a Ryuho. Plinto's body was bathed in an orange light, as Axel fired off his blast, only this Ryuho was nearly ten times bigger than the normal variant. There was no time for Plinto to even consider taking evasive actions and the blast seemed to eradicate him, it doing the same to everything in its path. Tyla was seriously almost caught along in the beam, though thankfully, she was able to cling to the walls of the cave behind her.

"A-Axel! Somethings wrong! T-This isn't like him!"

The Ryuho faded away after sometime and Axel remained motionless, floating above the land. His eye shot to his left, where a series of rock spikes were heading his way. He flew forward and dodged, as another row were approaching from the front. He looked over his shoulder and came to the conclusion he was being encircled. Closing his eyelids, he allowed the pillars to come together into one giant four sided wall that reached up into the heavens. A gravely injured Plinto then appeared. He was gasping for air, but he smiled when he saw Axel had fallen hook, line, and sinker into his trap.

"Hahaha! You damned Saiyan! Indeed, you're just full of surprises! I never expected to find a Saiyan on this planet! You frightened me for a moment, but even if you are a Saiyan, you were still no match for my Invincible Rock Fi..."

The partition of rock and rubble was suddenly destroyed by a golden light. Plinto braced himself and was more than a little stunned to see his sturdy structure destroyed so effortlessly. At the center was none other than Axel, who didn't have a scratch on him.

"D-Damn you, M-Mister Axel! Just...DIE ALREADY!"

Plinto couldn't take it anymore. He had to do something about those infernal 'eyes' of Axel. Even now, they were leering at him, judging him, **mocking** him. In a blind fury, Plinto rushed at his opponent, lifted his leg, and landed his signature knee thrust dead on. Tyla gasped and Plinto grinned as hard as he could. Having put all his weight behind the blow, there was no doubt in the Brutian's mind that he had broken Axel's neck.

"H-Haha! Indeed, you were nothing, but talk, Mister Axel! Killing me? HA! There will be sleep for you in the next world, however!"

"...Was that supposed to be an attack?" Axel casually shoved Plinto's leg away from his person and put on a smile that was uncharacteristic. It positively **reeked** of confidence. "I thought I informed you that I would be **killing** you."

"G-GAH! D-Damn you! DAMN YOU!"

No, there was no way he could stand there and take this. Opening the palms of his hand, Plinto formed yellow-colored balls of Ki and he tossed them at Axel's vicinity. The blasts must have hit their mark, since they created a thick cloud of smoke that shrouded the target. Plinto was rather unstable at this point and he didn't stop his assault for even an instance, pelting the spot over and over again. A minute or two past when fatigue set in. Plinto panted and he gazed at the subsiding dust for Axel's presence. He wasn't there, an obvious relief to the Brutian.

"Hmph! Indeed, not even I could have withstood that! I-I did it! I defeated him! Hahaha!"

"...I see now. You **rely** on that device to sense Ki. A pity."

"N-No! IMPOSSIBLE! How are you...?!"

"...You are a fool, Plinto. Your recklessness has been your undoing."

Axel was **behind** Plinto. In fact, he had been there the **entire** time. As Plinto slowly turned his head to him, Axel grabbed his arm and squeezed it as tightly as possible.

"...**This** is for the people of Earth, the ones your Invaders either captured or killed!"

"W-Wait, M-Mister Axel! Please! **Spare me**! You can't...!"

Axel wasn't hearing it. He launched Plinto sky high into the air with an upward kick before readying another Ryuho. This ripped from Axel's fingertips and streaked hurriedly to meet its intended target. Still reeling from Axel's blow, Plinto could only watch on in complete and utter horror as the Ryuho wiped him away from existence.

Tyla screamed, as yet another strong blast of wind swept throughout the battlefield. The burst of Ki kept on until reaching the edge of Earth's atmosphere, where it disappeared, turning into a beautiful rain of stardust. Tyla watched the sky sparkle in amazement, wondering how something so destructive could become so mesmerizing. Her attention shifted to Axel, who was also leering up to the heavens.

"...It is over, Gohei..." he said, raising his fist.

He had won.

END


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Darkness. Complete darkness. Gohei searched around and realized he was trapped in some kind of unending void, one where he couldn't even see his own hand in front of his face. It was frightening, very much so, and he scrambled ahead in what he assumed was his front. However, no matter how much he ran, he got nowhere and eventually, he resorted to shouting out Tyla's and Axel's names. It was the only thing he could think of, the only thing that gave him a bit of comfort. Where had they gone? How had he gotten here? Cupping his hands on the sides of his heads, he fell to his knees and closed his eyes. Somehow, this relieved a bit of the stress he was feeling. Was he dead? Having never died prior, it was hard for him to say.

"Ugh! W-Where am?! W-Wasn't I just fighting that Plinto guy?! Why am I here?!"

His eyes widened and he gasped when a very bright light emerged up ahead. It beckoned him to come closer and he could have sworn a voice had whispered to him to do as such. He should have been afraid, yet all his prior apprehension melted away in this light's embrace. Unable to resist, he slowly walked forward toward it. The closer he got to it, the more 'warm' he felt, like he were rushing into the arms of a parent. How could he know this feeling? He was an orphan, someone who had no mother or father to speak of. Nevertheless, the sensation was familiar enough that he knew he it was genuine. His hand lunged out by itself and another came from the luminescence, grabbing it. It was then that was left in marvel at the sight of a beautiful, brown-skinned woman. She smiled at him lovingly and as Gohei peered at her long, black hair, he was certain he had met her before somewhere. He allowed this woman to guide him into the unknown with a calm state of mind, sensing no animosity from this being...

"G-Gah!"

Gohei lunged up out of a bed in a cold sweat. The plain white sheets covering his body were knocked aside and a bewildered Tyla sitting adjacent to him was alarmed by his sudden awakening.

"G-Gohei...? GOHEI!" She wasted no time in wrapping her arms around him and hugging him, making sure he didn't float away or anything. "I-I didn't think you were **ever** going to wake up!"

"T-Tyla? Where...?"

He was in a hospital room, that much was plainly obvious judging from the décor of the area the two of them were in. Gohei placed his hand on his forehead because he was feeling a tad bit dizzy. The feeling went away the more he came too and the strange dream he had moments ago replayed in his mind repetitively. Who was that woman? She was so familiar, but at the same time, Gohei could not come up with a name to label her with. Was his imagination merely playing tricks on him?

_Ugh! Her name...it was on the tip of my tongue!_

"Gohei! Are you even listening to me?!" Tyla never did like to be ignored and she shook Gohei by the end of his tanktop a few times to get his attention. "A-Are you okay? Oh, I-I'm sorry for shaking you like that! D-Does your head hurt?"

"Um...n-no. My bad. I didn't mean to space off like that. Er...this is a hospital, right?"

"Yeah! Don't worry! We're safe here! We're in East City right now!"

"E-East City?! T-That's pretty damn far from West City!"

Gohei moved his attention to a window facing to the left of his bed and he confirmed Tyla's claim. The tall buildings and small homes outside this medical facility told him that they were indeed in East City. He had seen a picture of the metropolis and on the news beforehand, though this was the first time he had traveled here himself. Miraculously, the city seemed to be untouched by the Invaders and he wondered if they hadn't gotten this far yet. Wanting to stand to get a closer look, his body responded negatively.

"A-Agh! W-What the heck?! Aw, it feels like a truck ran me over!"

Tyla pushed him back down. "Easy, easy. You sorta...**were** run over by a truck. Well, not really, but you get what I mean."

"What are you...?"

The battle with Plinto leaped out of Gohei's memories. It came back to him just then. He had tried to stop the Brutian on his own and failed miserably at the task. The last thing he could recall was being K.O.'d by a savage attack. How he had gotten here was a complete mystery.

"Just take it easy," Tyla told him. He watched her walk across the room in front bringing a tray of piping hot tea over. "Here, I made this myself! Try some!"

"Y-You made this? Huh. Well, if it doesn't kill me."

"H-Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!"

Gohei tried the drink, half expecting to choke on it. Tyla certainly wasn't renowned for her cooking skills. Then, he hadn't seen her cook anything in the first place. All the food at the orphanage was prepared by those who worked there, so there was no need for the children there to dabble with those kind of things. As such, he was greatly surprised to see the tea wasn't half bad. Mint really wasn't his favorite flavor, but the way it added to the beverage was good in his opinion. He guzzled the rest of it down, much to Tyla's discomfort, and almost immediately, his body ached a little less.

"W-Wow, Tyla! That stuff really works!" he stated. The pleasant mood of the scene was then abruptly interrupted by the sound of Gohei's stomach rumbling. "Ah, but I-I guess I'm a little hungry!"

Tyla sighed. "You're **always** hungry! Then again, you **have** been asleep for about three days, so it isn't surprising."

"Yeah! I'd kill for a..." Gohei's gagged on his saliva. "T-THREE DAYS?!"

This time, Gohei came close to falling out of his bed.

"R-Relax!" Tyla again put him back and placed his covers over him. "Yes, three days! That's why I said I was worried you would never get up. I've **never** seen you sleep that hard!"

Three days? Gohei certainly couldn't see himself being out for that long. His hand reached up to his forehead, he discovering a row of bandages wrapped around it. He jumped at them and had no clue as to why they were placed there.

_Oh, right. That Plinto guy. He kicked me there pretty hard._

"W-Wait a second! Tyla! W-Where's Axel?!"

Gohei checked everywhere, but quickly saw that Axel was nowhere to be found. He couldn't even sense his Ki from here.

"Axel? I-I'm not sure where Axel got to," Tyla answered, sitting down. "He's the one that brought you here. This city was luckily one of the places the Invaders hadn't hit yet and he figured we would be safe here."

Gohei nodded at her explanation, although he still had plenty to ask her. "Tyla, what happened back there in the Wastelands?! What happened to that Plinto guy?!"

"W-Why are you yelling?! You..."

"Come on Tyla! I gotta know!"

"Jeez! You don't have to scream my ear off!"

Out of the blue, Tyla bopped Gohei atop his scalp using her fist.

"H-Hey, what was that for?! I'm already injured enough, you know!"

"That's for pulling that stunt back there and almost getting yourself killed! You...you had me worried to death! If you **ever** try something like that again, I'll kill you myself!"

"O-Oh yeah! Well I oughta...!"

He was about to lay into her when he saw that her eyes were welling up with tears. Lowering his fist, Gohei noted this was the first time he had ever seen her **this** concerned about his well being. That was saying something, considering how often she had to watch after him at the orphanage. Perhaps it had been rather dangerous to run off like that without consulting her.

"...M-My bad, Tyla. I promise, I won't do something like that again, so please, don't cry!"

Tyla hit him upside the head again. "You better not!"

"A-Alright, alright! Sheesh! I don't know who's scarier: you or that Plinto! Which reminds me! You never answered my question from before? What happened to Axel and Plinto?!"

"Oh...yeah. Axel...er...won. T-That Plinto guy is...d-dead."

Tyla stated this strangely, at least, in Gohei's opinion. She spoke as if she were afraid of something and her eyes darted off at the mere mention of Axel's name. Had something happened while he was unconscious?

"Um...after the fight, Axel gave you some of his...Ki? Is that how you say it? Anyway, that's why you didn't die, Gohei. And then he brought us here, where it was safe. He...Axel didn't say where he was going afterward..."

"Oh, I see..."

Things got awfully quiet between the two and at length, Tyla got up to prepare more tea. Gohei looked on at her and couldn't figure out what her problem was. Her whole mood had taken a one eighty the minute Axel was mentioned.

_Axel...won, right? Woulda figured he was dead, the way she's acting..._

"Oh, you drank all the tea up, Gohei!" Tyla's declaration spooked Gohei, as he had been preoccupied with his own thoughts. Tyla sighed at this dilemma. "I suppose I'll just ask the nurse for some more..."

"Tyla...what happened back there in the Wastelands? How did Axel win?"

The question made Tyla fumble the silver cup in her hand and she dropped it soon enough. Picking it up, she shot Gohei a rather angry glare, one he was quite used to seeing. The way she furled her nose up was a good sign she was upset with him.

"Didn't I tell you to rest?! Why are you still fidgeting around so much?"

"Because you're acting like a loon! Who got your panties in such a bunch?!"

"W-Why...yo-ooooo-u! J-Just** drop** it, will you!"

A vein protruded on the side of Gohei's head and he opted to do as told and forget he had ever brought the subject up. Crossing his arms, he sat back in his bed, while Tyla stepped outside the room for some air.

"...Tyla, why won't you just tell me what happened?"

Something was bugging his friend and he didn't like it. Whenever Tyla remained tight lipped like this, it was always because something was on her mind. Gohei had known her long enough to be aware of that. He wanted to follow after her to interrogate her some more, but he suddenly felt very sleepy. All this yelling and screaming had worn him out quite a bit.

"D-Darn this injury! Well, I don't have anything better to do. I might as well..."

And with that, he nodded off...

* * *

By the time Gohei woke up once more, night had fallen across East City. He yawned loudly and rubbed the sleep out of his eyelids. Everything was as quiet as a mouse and the hospital had most likely stopped visiting hours long ago. Nonetheless, he could see Tyla napping in a chair right beside his bed. It must have been alright for her to stay by his side, not that she had anywhere else to go. Chuckling at her, he carefully climbed out of his bed, trying not to awaken her. He would hear nothing but her usual nagging anyway if he did. Perhaps this rest had done him some good. He felt one hundred percent again, as he walked toward the window to open it. A mild breeze hit him as he did so and he gazed out onto the city. Besides a couple of buildings a light, there wasn't much activity. The citizens here truly had no fear of the Invaders, it seemed. How else were they able to sleep so soundly at night like this? He next leered down to see that he was near the top floor of the East City Hospital. The roof was just above him and he could easily reach it if he climbed up a nearby pipe.

"Man, this is a bad idea, but...I want a better view so...!"

His hands gripped the cold steel and slowly, he shimmied up it, staring down at the rather long fall if he so happened to slip. He couldn't fly like Axel, so he would certainly be nothing more than a pancake if he was not careful. Fortunately, he managed to reach the top without incident. There was nothing more on the rectangular rooftop than a small room that housed the staircase that led downstairs and a railing that prevented anyone from falling should they chose to come up here. Gohei leaped over said barrier and leaned against it, first focusing on the East City skyline and then shifting to the numerous stars shimmering in the skies. The sight was very breathtaking, a stark contrast from three days ago. West City's sky used to resemble this one as well, before the Invaders came.

"Tch! Those stupid Invaders! I-I wonder where they've gotten off too. Man, I can't believe they haven't come here yet. Guess I shouldn't complain though. Hell, maybe they got scared of Axel and ran off..."

Gohei found himself searching the heavens for any sign of one of their spaceships. There was certainly nothing wrong with him being too careful. If they were coming, he would have to grab Tyla and make a run for it. As he put his head on the railing, knew there would be no way for someone like him to stop them, so fleeing seriously was their only option.

"...I couldn't do a thing against that Plinto, huh? Tch! I'm so pathetic! Guess I'll just have to get stronger then. But..i-if I could just fight like Axel, it wouldn't even be a problem!"

He threw a couple of punches, trying his best to imitate the young warrior. Axel was hands down the best fighter he had ever seen. Where had he gotten off too? Stopping, Gohei couldn't help but worry about him. There was a chance he had gone on ahead to fight the Invaders by himself, like he stated he would. Gohei wasn't so sure that was a good idea because if there were anymore of them like Plinto, even Axel would have a hard time.

"...Oh man, why can't I go out there and kick butt too?!"

"Would you stop whining already? If you want to get stronger, then get stronger! No point sitting here and complaining about it when you could be out there training!"

That statement...had not come from Gohei. He jumped at the sudden voice jutting out of the darkness, where he saw a silhouette of an unknown individual. The person made themselves known by stepping close enough to where he could see them, although they simply walked past him, fixing themselves to the sleeping East City. It was a Namekian, a middle aged one at that. Gohei stared at this man in marvel for a couple seconds, as this had been the first time he had seen a Namekian this close up. They were pretty...exotic, in his view. Green skin, pink muscles, and two antenna were their main features and this one specifically was wearing a white cape, a turban, and some blue pants. The individual shot Gohei a glare, fed up with the boy's constant staring. Gohei in turn laughed anxiously.

"U-Um...s-sorry! D-Don't mind me! I-I was just looking at the stars!" Gohei stated...nervously.

"...I see," was all the Namek had to say, he going back to his sight seeing.

_T-This guy...where in the heck did he come from?! I-I didn't even hear him..._

Gohei scratched his head. Was this Namekian a patient here? After further examination, Gohei determined he couldn't. This man's body was flawless and judging from his rough demeanor, Gohei figured someone would have to be stupid to even try and injure him. The Namekian's build was finely toned, reminding Gohei of Axel's body. Was this guy a martial artist?

"So, you want to fight these aliens then?" The Namekian moved his face over to Gohei, with his arms remained crossed in between one another.

"M-Me? Um...well, it was just a thought really," Gohei replied. He still had no idea who this man was, so he had to remain cautious. "B-But...I'm not very strong. I was just thinking of a way to get stronger so I could do something about these bastards!"

The Namekian chuckled. "Big talk from a runt like you. If you went out there and tried to do anything, you would need more than this hospital to patch you up."

"H-Hey, you don't have to be so...honest."

Gohei's head fell a little. This man was correct. At his current level, Gohei was nothing more than a joke. He had always felt weak and powerless back at the orphanage, but in this situation, his uselessness had been multiplied ten fold. He sighed in a melancholy fashion, unintentionally squeezing the railing at his fingertips until it warped. The Namekian's eyes enlarged at this.

_This kid...I thought that Ki was coming from someone else, but now I see._

"Hey, kid!" The Namek yelled, hurting Gohei's ears some. "What's your name?"

"M-Me? Er...I'm...G-Gohei."

The Namekian shut his eyes momentarily. "Piccolo."

"P-Piccolo? Are you asking if I know how to play one? Well, not really, I..."

"No! That's my **name**! Call me Piccolo!"

Gohei shuttered at 'Piccolo's' declaration. "A-Alright! Just...just stop **yelling**!"

"...Hmph. You remind me of someone from a very long time ago." Piccolo's tone sounded different, like he were mulling over a good memory. His aggressive demeanor quickly returned though. "...You have a decent amount of Ki. I get the feeling...you aren't human."

"E-Eh?! W-What do you mean, I'm not human?!"

"Relax, kid. I didn't mean it as an insult. I'm just saying that if your claim of having no fighting ability is true, then that doesn't explain why your Ki is so high." Piccolo scanned Gohei's arms. They were a little bony, but otherwise, toned. "Heh. No, you ain't human. Tell me...Gohei. That scar on your face...where did you get it? I highly doubt you got it in battle, so tell me..."

Gohei instinctively reached for the pink scar running down the left side of his face. He honestly had to answer about its origins. Per Piccolo's statement, he hadn't received it from fighting anyone and he sure couldn't remember injuring himself, so where had it come from? It had been there since birth, though that's what the people at the orphanage told him. If it held any special meaning, he certainly had no idea.

"...Alright, forget I asked." Piccolo took Gohei's silence as a sign he either had no answer for his question, or he simply didn't want to discuss the subject. The Namekian switched subjects as such. "Can you fly at least?"

"Fly? N-No. W-Wait, can you?! Can you teach me how?!"

Piccolo grinned. "...Yeah, I could. I could show you a few things, but I highly doubt you'd be able to handle my kind of training."

A bead of sweat appeared on Piccolo's head when Gohei suddenly rushed over to him, got down on his knees, and grabbed onto his pants leg.

"Mister...Mister Piccolo! Come on! You've **gotta** train me real quick! J-Just...just show me a few moves! I can tell from your Ki that you are very strong, so **please**!"

"A-Alright already! Just...get up off the ground! ...Look, I'll show you a few things tonight, but **only** the basics! If you can't wrap your head around that, you won't be able to grasp anything else, got that?!"

"U-Uh...s-sure! But you **are** gonna teach me how to fly too, right?!"

Piccolo palmed his hand across his face. "What have I just agreed too? ...Listen, Gohei. I'm a very strict teacher and I can **guarantee **that you'll want to run home to your Mommy after we begin, even if it's only for a few hours! Think you can handle that?!"

"Uh...y-yes! Please, just...train me! I'll...do my best!"

For some odd reason, when Gohei finished talking, he suddenly wished to take back his last statement. He then gulped the moment Piccolo began chuckling to himself. If there was some joke being told, he wanted to be in on it. Lowering his arms, Piccolo assumed a fighting stance, one Gohei tried to emulate without much success. He got the feeling that per Piccolo's words, this training was not going to be a very pleasant experience.

"Heh. Good, that's the proper form to take, Gohei!" Piccolo stated. "Hmph. Don't mind me if I'm a little too rough on you, now!"

"O-Oh God, no! I'm going to die!"

The rooftop was soon lit up by a series of unknown flashes and crashes and a few dogs in the East City background started to bark at all the ruckus. Just what had Gohei gotten himself into?

* * *

"G-Gohei, why in the world are you...walking like that? Didn't...you just leave the hospital?"

Traveling down a crowded street of East City with Gohei, Tyla watched as her friend looked as if he needed to be checked **into** a hospital, rather than out of one. Indeed, Gohei had been cleared by the doctors and he and Tyla were free to their own transgressions. It was just that Gohei was moaning and stretching his limbs every chance he got. He pulled on his neck, lettting out a, "Shhhhh!" and continued to hobble beside Tyla.

"E-Er...i-it's nothing, Tyla! I-I just slept funny! Yeah, that's it!"

Tyla wasn't so sure. "Well, it looks like you had a fight with the bedsheets and they won! Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"Of course! Quit your worrying! I..." Tripping on a fire hydrant, Gohei let out a shrill cry of anguish. "Oh, my **back**!"

The truth of the matter was that Gohei had stayed up all night training with the mysterious Piccolo, who had disappeared soon after he was done 'torturing' Gohei.

_Torture? Man, that probably would have been __**nice**__ compared to what the crazy guy put me through! Agh! I-I can't feel my legs! I-Imagine if I trained with him __**for real**__!_

Tyla had no choice but to put him over her shoulders. "Well, whatever the case, what do you think we should do now? We...obviously can't go back to the orphanage and we don't know where Axel went, so...what do you want to do?"

Gohei wasn't sure how to respond to that. He gazed out onto the streets of the city to see a multitude of different people of equally different races scouring the streets, performing their day-to-day duties. This type of setting was still foreign to him. Would he be able to do the same if it came down to it? And what **were** he and Tyla supposed to do now? Frankly, he hadn't even considered the scenario. He put his finger on his chin and chewed the inquisition over, while Tyla guided him down another busy intersection.

"Hmm...hahaha. Not gonna lie, Tyla, I'm not sure."

Tyla rolled her eyes. "Figures, coming from you."

"Hey, if you're trying to pick a fight...!"

"Oh, be quiet!" Tyla took the sights as well. "Have you noticed how peaceful it is around here? It's like...the Invaders aren't even here..."

"...Yeah, you're right. It's weird that they haven't attacked this place yet."

"Maybe they just can't find it?"

Gohei shook his head. "Doubt that. Maybe they're just sitting back and waiting...waiting for the perfect chance to strike."

Tyla shuttered at such a prospect. He hadn't wished to unsettle her like this and he hastily pat her shoulder to calm her down.

"J-Just kidding! Don't worry! I can't sense any of them, so that means they aren't anywhere nearby!"

"J-Jeez! Don't scare me like that!" She gingerly jabbed him on the cheek. "But seriously, where are we going to live? I doubt anyone would rent an apartment to kids like us."

"Agh! Good point!" Gohei replied. He then snapped his finger, getting an idea. "Hey, why don't we just go live with Axel!"

"Er...I-I don't think that would be a good idea. Besides, living in a cave isn't exactly what I had in mind..."

"Tch! There is literally no pleasing you, woman!"

"Would **you** want to live in a cave?!"

"W-Well, n-no, but...!"

The two stopped their bickering long enough for them to take heed of the gate and gigantic staircase in front of them. There were a series of buildings at the top and there was an...'extravagant' dragon clutching a sign with Japanese letters above the gate. 'Tacky' was a better fit for the ornament, Gohei and Tyla both agreed, but what was written on the sign was of far more interest. They squinted and at the same time, the two read out loud 'Ryu Jin'ei Martial Arts Academy.' They then shot each other a glance of bewilderment ahead of letting out a, "Huh?!"

"R-Ryu Jin'ei?! Hey, isn't that what Axel uses, Tyla?"

"Uh...I think so! Yeah, that's what he said his Master taught him! But...why do you think a Ryu Jin'ei academy would be in the middle of East City? I thought Axel said that only a few people still practiced that stuff?"

Gohei shrugged. "Dunno, but maybe we should check it out. Not like we got anything to do right now anyway."

Tyla couldn't find any reason not to agree to this and so the two hurried through the looming entrance ahead. Climbing up the many stairs was quite the hike, it being much longer than either one of them would had liked. By the time the reached the top, they were more than a little winded.

Gohei collapses to his knees, wanting a juice box. "G-Gah! T-There's no way I could do that...e-everyday!"

"Y-You said it!" Tyla wiped away a concentration of sweat on her forehead. "B-But I think we made it! Look!

The dojo's grounds was square shaped with three different structures on each side and a sizable fountain in the middle. It too was decorated with a dragon statue. That looked to be the overall theme with this place in general, though that was hardly surprising. It **was** a Ryu Jin'ei school. Gazing around the place, Gohei and Tyla were unable to locate anyone outside.

"Maybe they're all on vacation?" Tyla asked, puzzled.

"Aw, that stinks! And here I was..." Gohei's ear twitched just then, as it picked up on something. "Wait, I hear something coming from that building right there!"

The one he was referring to was the one straight ahead. As the two inched closer to its wooden doors, they could see a number of what they assumed were students, all wearing the same red karate suit, a gi. The lot of them were practicing an assortment of fighting moves and poses, some of which Gohei acknowledged from watching Axel. The two managed to slip in unseen because everyone was so preoccupied and they hastily hid behind a large pillar.

"Um...do you think it's alright for us to be here right now, Gohei?" Tyla said.

"Sure! Why not? Er...I-I think."

"Then...why are we hiding?"

"...I-I don't know, I just followed you."

Tyla fell on her head at the comment. "D-Do you **ever** think anything through before you do it or is being 'spontaneous' like this natural?!"

"H-Hey! It's not like you **didn't** follow me in here!"

"W-Well...e-even so...!"

"Don't make this seem like it's all my fault! Jeez, you always do this, Tyla!"

"N-Not your fault! Oh, you get on my nerves sometimes, Gohei!"

"Oh yeah! Well, you...!"

A tap on Gohei's shoulder was what stopped him from really giving Tyla a piece of his mind and angrily, he faced the opposite direction to see who was attempting to get his attention. A collection of the dojo's students were gathered around the two, along with the person who beckoned Gohei, he seeing that this pupil was over six feet tall. He said nothing, only glaring at Gohei as if he had done something wrong.

"W-We're surrounded!" Tyla stated, huddling closer to Gohei. "See where your curiosity leads you! Now what are we going to do?!"

"R-Relax, Tyla! We haven't done anything yet!" The large student grunted at Gohei's words. "I-I mean! W-We weren't planning on doing anything **at all**, so **please** don't eat me!"

The students all responded with a sharp yell and each got into a fighter's stance. To say that Gohei and Tyla were in a bad spot would have been an understatement. The giant hovering over him grabbed him by his shirt and snatched him up, the two now eye to eye. The most Gohei could do was laugh in an anxious manner, as the student again growled.

"ENOUGH!"

A earsplitting crash resounded after the sudden declaration and the students stopped what they were doing, turning to the source of the command, and bowed respectfully. Hugging one another, Gohei and Tyla were miffed as to why they hadn't been reduced to a bloody pulp. That was, until they saw who it was that had saved them. It was an elderly man possessing an expertly braided white beard as tall as he was and a crimson gi resembling the others. He hobbled forward on a brown cane and it was then Gohei and Tyla came to the conclusion the bang from before had come from it impacting the floor. When they caught the eye of this old man, they shuttered and squealed simultaneously.

"You two! What are you doing here? Why are you disturbing the sanctity of this dojo?!" he demanded to know, bashing his cane downward. He looked ready to go on a tirade, but something about Gohei's frightened face made him relax. "...I see now. It is you. So, you've come at last, young Gohei. I was beginning to wonder whether you would show or not..."

"H-Huh?! Gohei, how does he know your name?!" asked Tyla.

"T-That's what I want to know! M-Mister old guy, how **do** you know my name?"

The students of the academy gave Gohei a dirty look, maybe having something to do with the casual tone he was employing with their Master. He made sure to hide behind Tyla a little better.

"...My name is Daigu," the elderly gentlemen stated. "I am the master of this dojo. As to how I know your name, Axel informed me of it."

"A-Axel? You know Axel?"

Daigu stroked at his beard. "...Yes, I know Axel. His Master, Ryuzaki, and I were friends...and longtime rivals. I have know Axel ever since he was about your age. He told me that you would most likely stumble upon this place and he humbly requested that I take you on as a pupil here."

Shell shocked by the claim, Gohei answered, "H-He did?! G-Go figure!"

"W-Was he reading our minds?!" Tyla chimed.

"...Normally, I do not train brats like you," Daigu went on. The remark was less than pleasing to Gohei and he frowned. "...but if Axel sees some potential in you, I suppose it would do Ryuzaki a disservice to turn you down. Of course, the decision is yours. I cannot force you to go under Ryu Jin'ei training and neither can Axel. That choice you will have to make yourself."

"I-I'm not a brat, old man!" Gohei suddenly yelled. Squeezing his fists, he declared, "H-How can you even say that, considering we've never even met before! I appreciate the offer, but I'm not going to accept training from someone who doesn't even respect me!"

"...Respect has to be earned, you foolish rascal," the old man snapped back. "You stand there demanding acknowledgment, but what have you done thus far to earn it?"

"Tch! W-Whatever! I'm so over this! Later!"

Tyla followed after him. "H-Hold on, Gohei!"

He didn't have to sit here and be treated like this. If training with Daigu meant he would have to suffer through his 'uppity' conduct on a constant basis, he would much rather train on his own. Gohei had enough of dealing with similar types at the orphanage and he was not going to suffer anymore, not if he didn't have to. Heading for the exit, Gohei's mind was made up.

"Hmph. It seems that Axel was wrong about you after all, boy."

His mind **was** made prior to Daigu speaking in the same tone that had enraged him to begin with. Rather, he stopped in his tracks and whipped around to the old man, who was casually fondling the hair on his chin.

"Clearly, you are nothing more than a worthless brat. Go on then. I do not need students like you in this dojo," Daigu firmly stated. "You would only prove to be a nuisance in the long run.

"...T-Take that back, old man! I-I'm not worthless! I-I..."

"You **are** worthless, Gohei. You're a burden on everyone you come across because you are too afraid to stand up for yourself. You care far too much about what others think about you. Yes, am I right, brat? All I have to do is look at you once to know that much, boy. As I said before, I have no use for spoiled rascals such as yourself. I have no time to wipe your nose on a constant basis."

Gohei was immobilized by Daigu's harsh tongue and his expression was one of total shock. The words coming out of this old man's mouth were right on the money and Gohei couldn't pretend they weren't. He **had** been nothing more than dead weight for his friends, especially Tyla. At the orphanage, it was Tyla who had protected him. It was Tyla who had shielded him from the cruel taunting of the other children. Without her, he wasn't sure where he would be right now. She was the sole reason he had even had the capacity to make it **this** far. His eyes swung at her worried face and suddenly, it was hard to do such a thing, he diverting his stare to the ground.

"...Fine, old man. You're right. Is that what you wanted to hear?!" Gohei glowered back up at Daigu, who offered no reply. "I really was too weak and pathetic and if we had met three days ago, you calling me a 'worthless brat' would have been a perfect description! However, I-I'm going to change! I don't want to have to depend on others for **everything**! I want to be able to help them as well! I-I want to be the one to help Tyla from now on! S-She's not gonna have to come to my stead every time! You got that?! Say whatever you want about me, but understand that much, geezer!"

"G-Gohei..."

Tyla had no idea that was how he viewed their relationship. She never felt any shame protecting him from the other orphans and to her, it never seemed like Gohei was relying on her. In all honestly, she pondered if it was she who had needed him the entire time. There was really no one at the orphanage she could call a 'friend' other than Gohei and he was the lone soul she had interacted with for as long as she could remember. Watching out for Gohei was just something she had come to do, not a task she felt was forced onto her. Even so, she was touched by her friend's speech and his newfound resolve. Where had it all come from? Just a few days ago, he had been the same old Gohei, but the more she looked at him, the more she could sense his changes for herself.

"Hmm...good answer, Gohei." Daigu nodded at the boy's words. "That was the answer I hoped you would give me. You are still quite useless, but this is a start."

Gohei fell on his head at the remark. "W-Why you...!"

"Calm down, Gohei! It's...it's alright," said Tyla.

"...Fine. Now that you got what you wanted, please answer my questions. Old man, you said Axel was here, right? Why? Did he say where he was going?"

"...Yes, Axel was here earlier, but he left sometime ago, an hour or two maybe. He left me a detailed description of you and informed me that you would most likely stumble upon this dojo. Of course, your resemblance to Axel made discovering your identity rather simple."

"H-Huh? I...look like Axel?"

Tyla's jaw dropped. "A-Are you **serious**, Gohei?! Have you looked in a mirror?! You guys are like...identical twins!"

Not believing Tyla's claim, Gohei saw everyone else in the academy gesturing their heads and agreeing with her, Daigu included. If this really was the case, then why? Gohei knew he had no family or relatives to speak of, so there was no way Axel could be related to him, right? They had just met a few days ago. Gohei hadn't even heard of Axel before then. It was completely unfathomable to him that he could have any connection to Axel and there was always the possibility the two of them having similar faces was a mere coincidence.

"You know, I was not even going to consider an individual like you for Ryu Jin'ei training," Daigu suddenly said. "Axel convinced me otherwise, however. I told him that I would only agree to train you if he beat me in a one-on-one bout."

"So...he won?"

"No." Gohei and Tyla were more than a little aghast by Daigu's answer. "He lost, although narrowly. Nevertheless, his resolve was enough that I accepted his request."

"...Why do you think Axel wanted me to train with you so badly?"

"Who's to say? However, he did mention that he saw an awful lot of...potential in you. He declined to train you himself and he told me it was because he felt his own training was incomplete, so he asked me to do it in his stead...here. I...think I see now. Yes, he was onto something alright. I sense a lot of potential in you, young man. Being in your presence informs me of such."

"I-I still don't understand, but...I have a question! If...If I were to take on this training, would I have enough strength to fight these Invaders? Would I be able to stop them?!"

"H-Huh?! G-Gohei, there's no way you'd be able to do that!" Tyla shouted, as she flailed her arms about. "T-There's way too many of them! I don't think even Axel would be able to fight them all!"

Master Daigu's pupils began to mutter amongst themselves about Gohei's incomprehensible request. Daigu made a quick ruckus with his trusty cane, quieting everyone down.

"...**Nothing** is impossible, young Gohei! If you apply yourself, I believe that you will find the art of the Ryu Jin'ei is not to be underestimated. Know though, young Gohei, the training will be hard and unforgiving. You will have to work harder than you ever have before. You will have to commit every fiber of your being into doing this. Only then, will you succeed!"

Gohei figured as much. If it were anything like Piccolo's grueling training though, he had to question his survival rate. He just didn't get what Axel was doing. Why had he done all this just to ensure Gohei received the proper grooming? What was it that he saw in Gohei? He didn't feel that special and he candidly wasn't sure he would be able to handle Ryu Jin'ei. What choice did he have though? There was no way in hell he was going to miss an chance like this. He was going to do this, no matter how grueling it would be. If it meant he could protect Tyla, he was more than for it.

"Well, that sounds...fun. Whatever, old man! You got yourself a deal!" Gohei declared. He then faced Tyla. "I-Is that okay with you, Tyla? I-I mean, we would probably have to live here if I do this. Er...you don't have to follow me if you want. I mean you..."

"Gohei...I'm going to stick by you no matter what!" she answered. "Whatever you decide to do is perfectly fine. I'm behind you one hundred percent!"

"T-Thank you, Tyla! I promise, I won't let you down!"

"A-Are you crying?"

His eyelids were watering up, though Gohei hastily wiped them dry when Tyla noticed.

"N-No! T-There's just...just something in my eye!"

* * *

"Well, if you kiddos are done with the waterworks now, maybe you'd actually be able to start your so called training!"

Those present in the dojo heard someone new speak all of the sudden and Gohei especially took particular interest in this new development...

END


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"You kids done crying now? Good! Save those tears for your training!"

The person that had spoken just now did so using a very brash tone, one that inexplicably and instantaneously got on Gohei's nerves. It was as if someone he truly despised had stepped forward. Those present in the Ryu Jin'ei Martial Arts Academy were drawn to the entrance and standing there was an individual who was grinning at nothing in particular. Wafting his fingertips through his shoulder length blond hair, the gentlemen stepped forward and dumped a leather sack onto the ground, as he took in a huge breath of air. Gohei could barely make out his blue eyes from underneath a pair of sunglasses, but judging from the man's appearance, he was a mix of races: Caucasian and Asian. While Gohei found himself staring at the individual in bothered silence, he could feel his anger rising by the second. Why was he getting so upset? This being had said no less than a few sentences and yet Gohei was having a hard time sitting put.

_W-Who the __heck__ is this guy? Jeez, his hair is longer than Tyla's!_

Gohei was convinced he wasn't a student here, since he was clad in nothing more than a brown tank top, a pair of dark jeans, and some black boots, far different from the uniform everyone else here was supposed to adorn. This man looked around the dojo, lowering his shades as he did. Gohei speculated he might have been searching for something, but it became evident that he was simply taking in his environment. Strangely, Master Daigu's class bowed in the vicinity of this person, leaving Gohei even more baffled. He caught the eye of this man and he in turn looked Gohei up and down before bursting out into a fit of laughter. It was so random that Gohei had to make sure there wasn't something humorous going on behind him.

"A-And what's so funny?!" Gohei barked. "Y-You laughing at me?!"

The golden maned individual was incapable of stopping his giggling to oblige the incensed Gohei with a response, even after doing so for more than a couple of seconds. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he managed to stop only because his chest was beginning to pain him.

"Whew! Thought I was going to die that time!" he remarked after subsequent giggles. "I-I'm sorry, but, you **cannot** be the kid Axel was talking about earlier! You're as skinny as a toothpick! The way he spoke, I thought you would look more impressive!"

"W-What?! Tch! J-Just who are you anyway?! And how come you know who I am?!"

To state that this gentlemen was obnoxious would have been praise. The image of Darunga, Gohei's longtime rival at the orphanage, popped up in his thoughts, as the person openly mocking him right now reminded him of the former.

Master Daigu stepped up with the assistance of his cane and his guest promptly bowed in respect toward the old man. "Kain, you have returned. I was beginning to worry because you were taking your time out there," Daigu said. His wrinkled fingers pointed at Gohei and then Kain. "Gohei, this is Kain. He is my protégé, so to speak. He is also the dojo's finest student. I was hoping he would show up in time for you to meet him."

"...What?"

The dryness of Gohei's voice was picked up by all present and he gave Kain the strangest glance the man had ever seen in his life. **This** was Daigu's brightest pupil? The mere idea of Kain being a master of Ryu Jin'ei half near made Gohei want to go on a mad tirade of laughter himself. He was positively bewildered at how someone as reprehensible as Kain could be a master of anything other than tomfoolery.

"Kain, how did your investigation go?" Daigu next asked his 'protégé .'

"Meh, nothing to report, unfortunately. Or should I say 'thankfully?'" The goofy grin that had caused Gohei's skin to crawl earlier reared its ugly head again on Kain's lips. Not paying Gohei any mind, Kain added, "Anyway, I couldn't find out anything more about those 'Invaders' or whatever you wanna call 'em. It's like they vanished into thin air or something..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Did you say 'the Invaders?!'" Gohei's interest had definitely been piqued by the ongoing discussion. "Y-You were looking for them?"

Daigu nodded. "I sent Kain to discover who these strange people are who are attacking his planet are and to discover their current whereabouts. West City and a few other cities were..."

"Destroyed? Yeah...I know. Let's just say Tyla and I have had an up close and personal encounter with those bastards!"

West City's demise at the Invaders hands was fresh in their memories even now. Gohei and Tyla highly doubted they would ever forget what they had seen. The two glanced at one another and they shook their heads, quietly reminding themselves that what happened there should not be repeated. Kain noticed their motioning, though he kept out of their business and turned back to Master Daigu.

"Doubt those goons are anywhere near East City at least. Would have seen one of those 'flying machines' they have or at least sensed their Ki..."

"'F-Flying machines?' Um...I'm pretty sure we all know what a spaceship is."

Kain rolled his eyes at Gohei. "Huh, guess you're not old enough to know what 'sarcasm' is, eh, kid?"

"M-My name is not 'kid!'" yelled Gohei in return. "A-And I **know** what sarcasm is! You're just not funny!"

"Right, right. Whatever you say, Mister Prodigy. About your training then. Figure I should tell you now that you'd better take this stuff seriously! This isn't a daycare center, so if you don't keep up, you'll be chewed up and spit!"

"I-I know that, you...you...!"

Tyla grabbed Gohei's arm, stopping him from doing something she knew he would regret. If he had to look at Kain any longer, he reckoned he would vomit. Tyla was a little confused at why he was in such a bad mood, as the only time he had gotten so heated was back at the orphanage when the other kids made fun of him. Even then though, he never had the nerve to lash back like this.

"Well! Hello, hello, little lady!" Kain crouched down to Tyla, took her hand, and suddenly kissed it, making her face flush with blood. "Kain is the name! And you are...?"

Tyla muttered something that might have been her name, but Gohei was having a hard time confirming because her speech was so slurred. The mere sight of Kain flashing a smile had melted her little heart.

"Hahaha! Did you say 'Tyla?' That's an awfully cute name! Well then, Tyla, it's a pleasure to meet you!" He inched nearer to her and gestured at Gohei. "Say, what are you doing here with **this** guy? You're **way** too cool to be hanging around with the likes of him!"

This was yet another jab thrown Gohei's way. Shaking furiously, the young boy's rage was frothing to a boil now. It was bad enough Kain was taking every opportunity to put him down, but fooling around with Tyla like this was all he could take. Suddenly, he jumped up and aimed his tightened fist straight at Kain's sneering face. Though Kain managed to parry the blow in time, it was obvious he had been caught off guard. Gohei followed through with a kick aimed to take Kain's head clean off if it could. Kain's forearm absorbed the force of the blow and the two remained where they were for an extended period of time, neither of their limbs wanting to give. Everyone watching on gasped at the spectacle.

"G-Gohei...?! What are you doing?!" Tyla demanded to know.

"Yes, Gohei. What **are** you doing?" Kain smiled at Gohei's 'enthusiasm' and soon enough tossed him away. Gohei managed to land on his feet feeling a tad bit better. "Heh. Not bad! Yeah, that kick actually left a mark!"

"Did it now? I'll leave more than that if you keep messing with me!"

"Come on! I was just having a little fun with ya, kid. Chill out!"

There it was again. That silly smirk of Kain's. He gave Gohei a full blast of it and he wanted to rip his face off for it. Awkward seconds of silence ticked by, as Tyla found herself dumbfounded by Gohei's prior movements. The fluidity of them was what leaped out most at her the most. The way he moved, she could have sworn he had been fighting like that for years. That was impossible, however. Gohei couldn't fight. He could barely defend himself against bullies at an orphanage, so how was it that he had managed to injure a fully trained martial artist? Tyla was unable to wrap her brain around such a concept and if this was true, from where did he learn to perform such moves?

"That will be enough!" Daigu slammed his cane down with authority. "I will not have my students squabbling like untrained children inside my dojo. If you would truly like to challenge one another, do it formally with a sanctioned duel."

"F-Forgive me, Master!" Kain said, bowing at once.

"H-He started it!" Gohei added. "This guy is...!"

Daigu cut him off. "...I see you two are rather...'acquainted' now. Good, because Kain, I will be assigning Gohei to you. You will supervise his training and make sure he's coming along properly. That shouldn't be a problem for someone of your skill, correct?"

"WHAT?! I DON'T WANNA WORK WITH THIS GUY!"

Everyone shielded their eardrums from Gohei and Kain's coinciding complaint. They leered at one another intensely, the electric between them almost tangible. Daigu had expected such a reaction. Nevertheless, he had already made his decision.

"...I believe this is the best course of action for you two. Any questions?"

"Yeah, are you **high**?!" Gohei replied. "I-I gotta train with **this** guy?!"

"And what's **that **supposed to mean, twerp?!" Kain cracked his knuckles, more than ready to settle this matter using his fists. "You wanna say that to my face?!"

"Oh, look at the big bad Kain! What, you beat up kids like me for my lunch money or something?! Some martial artist, picking on someone like me!"

Kain was embarrassed by Gohei's somewhat honest comment. He grasped the end of Gohei's shirt and pulled him in closer. It was only a matter of time before they ripped one another apart, everyone thought. Daigu's cane got in between them and he bopped both of them upside the head with it.

"G-Gah! What is that cane made of, lead?!" Gohei asked, stroking his wound.

There was no way this relationship was going to work out. Tyla palmed her hand over her face at this fact. Surely Master Daigu could see this as well, right? Kain and Gohei working together was like expecting cats and dogs to coexist.

Ringing filled the air inside the Ryu Jin'ei Martials Arts Academy, the ringing of a phone. Gohei, Tyla, and the other students searched around for the source of it when Kain scrambled to retrieve an item from his pocket. It was a cell phone and he hurried to answer it, placing the speaker on his ear. He quickly apologized to his Master, though Daigu forgave the disturbance, feeling that the reason behind it would be relevant soon enough.

"Go for Kain!" he yelled. Gohei's eyes rolled of their own accord. "Yeah...and this is?" There was silence from Kain shortly, while he listened to whoever was on the line. He nodded at unknown news before replying. "Shit, you've gotta be kidding me! You sure?" There was a final pause and Kain seemed to be mentally writing something down with his eyes. "Right! Gotcha! I'll meet you on the outskirts of town!"

"Bad news?" Tyla asked.

Kain hung up the phone and sighed. "You know it. Looks like I might have jumped the gun on saying the Invaders weren't nearby." He managed to laugh with a slightly pained infliction at his mistake. "They're uh...actually pretty damn close. My 'informant' told me there's a chance they might even come here..."

"C-Come here?!"

Master Daigu's students were thrown into a panic by this shocking information, while Gohei and Tyla gasped. The Invaders could have been on their way to East City? It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how much trouble the city and its people would be in if the Invaders were allowed to do such a thing. In order to restore order, Daigu banged on the floor, although it was much more reserved than his usual ruckus.

"Relax, everyone. Kain, what do you believe we should do with this news?"

"Eh? Well, I don't think there's much to talk about. We gotta stop these guys!"

Daigu fondled his beard within his hand. "And do you believe this is possible?"

"Of course!" Kain pointed his thumb at himself and added, "Hey, am I not your **best** student, Master? These guys are free to me, so watch me pound their faces into the dirt! If they think they can take this city without a fight, they've got another thing coming!"

"Well, you're enthusiastic at least..." Letting out a small chuckle, Daigu aimed his cane at Gohei. "This is a good opportunity. Yes. Kain, you will go and intercept the Invaders. However, I want you to take Gohei with you."

"H-Huh?! Come on, Master! Why do I have to...?!"

"SILENCE!" Daigu's command echoed throughout and a mirror in the background was shattered to pieces by it. "This is an excellent chance to train Gohei, Kain. You will take him with you in this task and I will not hear another word against this. Do you understand me?"

Kain hesitated. "Y-Yeah, Master. I hear ya. I don't know how he's supposed to train though. Tch! He's only going to be dead weight out there!"

"I'm right here, ya know!" Gohei stated. "Don't worry about me, loser! I'll do my part out there! I'm more worried about **you**!"

"L-Loser?"

Tyla muttered this below her breath while leering toward Gohei like he were some stranger. What in the world had gotten into him today? She could not recall a single time where he was this headstrong. The Gohei from three days ago wouldn't have dared talked back to Kain or anyone for that matter like this, yet the boy in front of her wasn't backing down an inch. Had he really changed that much in such a short amount of time? She bit her bottom lip at this realization because it was a little scary for her to see him behaving so oddly.

"Bah! No choice, huh?" said Kain in regards to Gohei having to come with him. "Hey, kid! Can you at least fly? I ain't carrying your ass so..."

"Fly? Oh, no! There's no way Gohei could..."

"...I can fly alright. And I already told you, my name is **Gohei**!" replied Gohei, he stunning Tyla with his words inadvertently.

"Huh?! You **can** fly?!"

Gohei nodded. "Yah huh. What's the matter, Tyla? You look pale!"

Since when could Gohei fly? Tyla was so confused, it felt like her head was spinning. It was as if she had missed a chapter of Gohei's life where he had learned to do all these incredible things. It wasn't like him to do something behind her back, so was he keeping something from her? He never did that, however, not that she could recall at least. Whenever there was something Gohei needed to confide in someone, Tyla was the first person he went to. In fact, she was certain there wasn't anyone in the entire world that knew more about Gohei then she did. How was it then that she felt so clueless about him right now?

"Tyla? Tyla! Hey, wake up!"

"H-Hwah?!" she cried, her body jumping.

"You've been out of it for a minute or two now!" Gohei yelled, snapping his fingers in her face. "I was trying to tell you that I was leaving! Are you alright?"

"O-Oh, yes, I'm fine. Sorry."

"O-ooo-kay. Good to hear. I'll be back ASAP, so just chill here for the time being!"

"Huh?! W-Wait up! I'm coming with you then!"

"No can do." Gohei placed his hands on her shoulders. "Er...I'm pretty sure that this is going to be pretty dangerous, so I'd just feel better if you...uh...stayed here. I'm thinking you should be fine with that old guy and his students, so could you just wait for me here?"

"But...!"

Hearing this come out of Gohei's mouth was surreal indeed for Tyla. She had grown so accustomed to worrying about him that it was strange to have the situation flipped on its side like this. She wanted to protest his actions, but stopped when she remembered what he had seen earlier. It seemed this really was a different Gohei she was dealing with now, one who could handle himself without being under her constant watch.

"...I-I see. Okay, I understand. Just be careful out there, okay? I'll be here waiting!"

"Eh? Y-You're honestly letting me go?" said Gohei with a suspicious glance. "Heh, and here I thought you were just gonna nag my ear off instead like you always do!"

With a riled jerk of her eyelid, Tyla slapped Gohei upside the head with all of her might, nearly breaking his skull in the process. Everyone looking on couldn't help but cringe at the brutality of it all.

"It would be best if you stopped talking now, Gohei," she calmly stated.

"W-Witch..." muttered Gohei, as he picked himself up.

Kain then said, "Hey, I ain't got all day! Let's **go**!"

Snarling under his breath, Gohei wasn't sure he could stomach Kain's mouth for the duration of their trip, as the thought of staying behind with Tyla was sounding better and better by the second. Then again, if she was going to treat him as roughly as she just had, maybe he would have been better off going with Kain. He decided on the latter and quickly followed Kain out of the dojo and onto the streets. He honestly wasn't sure what to expect once they got wherever they were going, but clenching his fist, he knew he had to be ready to tackle it.

_Right! Let's put all that training to good use!_

Before Tyla knew it, Kain and Gohei were gone. She couldn't help but worry about his well being already, although she had a feeling that he would be alright and that everything would work out in the end.

"Good luck, Gohei..."

* * *

Kain raced on ahead, flying above the calm and quiet East City, peering around the surrounding area. The edge of town was up ahead and he knew the Invaders were somewhere past this point, yet he couldn't sense nor see anything nearby.

"Huh, that's weird. They can't turn invisible, can they?"

From the rear came Gohei, who was clearly having a hard time keeping up with his new acquaintance. The young boy shielded himself from the harsh winds lashing against his face, barely able to keep Kain in his sights.

"A-Argh! I-I didn't realize how hard this flying thing was!" he exclaimed.

"Heh, not bad at all kid. Still, can you keep up if I do this?"

Laughing, Kain increased his speed dramatically until he was nothing more than a blur in the distance. If he was trying to get on Gohei's bad side with this stunt, it was working.

"H-Hey! T-That guy...!"

It took some effort, but Gohei was able to make chase until he was flying side by side with Kain again.

Kain whistled and stated, "Haha! It took you long enough, kid!"

"S-Shut up! And I told you, my name isn't **kid**, it's Gohei!"

"Yeah, yeah! I'm guessing you just learned to fly recently. Guess you weren't lying then..."

"Y-Yeah, but...how do you deal with the wind while doing this?! M-My eyes are on fire and I'm already so tired!"

"Don't worry. You'll get used to it, kid. I must admit though, I'm impressed!"

What was that supposed to mean? Feeling Kain was only using the rare compliment as a chance to make fun of him some more in some way, Gohei didn't reply. Rather, the two advanced onward until East City was nothing more than a blur in the distance. It was at this time that Gohei found himself questioning where they were headed.

"Uh...Kain? You said the Invaders were over in this area, right?" he asked abruptly.

"You got it, kid. The place is a small town over yonder by the name of Gingertown. That's what my informant told me anyway. It shouldn't be too far up ah..."

Kain's voice trailed off when he was made witness to a stunning sight below. What **should** have been Gingertown down below was now nothing more than a smoldering wasteland with thick clouds of smoke rising high into the sky. Gohei protected his face from the still burning buildings while confounded as how such chaos could happen so close to East City without either he or Kain knowing.

"Er...I-I take it that's...Gingertown..." he mumbled.

Kain replied, "Y-Yeah, though it usually isn't...on fire. Crap, this is where I buy my hair products, so it's a bit of a pain to have it destroyed like this..."

"H-Hair products?! Are you serious right now?! We gotta get down there and help those people, don't we?!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just a little humor. Sheesh, lighten up, kid!"

Gohei could hardly take anymore of this. Wanting to punch Kain's lights out, he held back his fist and tongue while pressing his teeth together. So long as he got the training he was supposed to, he figured he could deal with Kain's shenanigans awhile longer.

The two made haste and landed down in Gingertown, unsure as to who or what they would find. As they ran down a battered and broken street in search of survivors, they heard the sound of blaster fire around the corner, a sure sign the Invaders were nearby. The two hid behind what remained of a building to strategize.

Kain said, "Get ready, Gohei! Looks like we're gonna have to crack some heads!"

No sooner did he say that did a body come flying straight past them and headfirst into a nearby building. Gohei and Kain stood in silence for a few seconds trying to figure out what had just occurred. Another individual was kicked aside, followed by another and another until they formed a large pile. Upon further inspection, Gohei saw that the poor souls being knocked around like rag dolls were the Invaders they had been searching for. Turning his head, he also saw that the person beating the tar out of them was a young woman.

"Come on! I'll take the lot of you guys!" she shouted, getting into a stance. The remaining armored men apprehensively backed away from her, but as they did, they managed to bump into someone else.

"You fellas going somewhere?"

Kain smirked before delivering a right hook into the face of the a purple-skinned soldier, rocketing them into the air like a shooting star. The others gasped in shock upon the realization that they were cornered. However, the moment the young woman spotted Kain, the anger on her face melted away, replaced with pure delight.

"K-KAINY POO!" she said, punching a soldier out of the way before running ahead.

"SARAI-RAI!" cried Kain, elbowing another to get to the girl.

What Gohei saw next just about made him puke all over himself in disgust. Kain and this mystery girl embraced one another before kissing one another passionately. Turning away, his eyelids strained themselves and he noted that he honestly had no clue what was going on anymore.

"I missed you, Sarai-rai!" Kain bellowed, using a tone of voice that Gohei had never heard come from him before. Regardless, it was incredibly disturbing to him.

"No, I missed you more!" the girl answered in the same fashion.

"No, I missed **you **more!" said Kain, now rubbing his nose against hers.

"No, no, no! I missed **you** more!"

"You know I missed you **way** more!"

The two kept at this for awhile longer and Gohei, unable to stomach it any longer, sat down on the grass a good distance away and sighed. It was apparent this young woman was 'familiar' Kain and she was one heck of a fighter to boot. Her overall appearance though wouldn't have made him think so. Her frame was petite and she was rather short, Kain just about towering over her for the most part. She had short, purple-colored hair, shorter than even Gohei's. He noted that he didn't usually like that sort of thing on a woman, but this 'Sarai-rai' was rather cute, so it worked for her. Inspecting her even further, he saw that she was wearing so very low cut blue jean shorts, with her top consisting of a white blouse with a blue jean vest over it. Nothing about her screamed 'fighter' to Gohei, so naturally, he was surprised by what she could do.

_Man, she really __**is**__ pretty. Kain's a lucky man for sure._

"D-Dammit! Men, stand your ground! It's only a couple of humans!"

Gohei had been so caught up in reflection that he had seriously forgotten about the Invaders currently picking themselves up off the ground. They had apparently toughed their resolve and now the lot of them were encircling Kain and the young woman. Unfortunately, it didn't look as if their targets were paying them much heed.

"H-Hey, you guys! Heads up!" Gohei screamed. "I-I can't believe them right now!"

The mob pounced on top of the two and Gohei began to fear the worse. That was, until the soldiers were flung back by an unseen force. Kain leaped out from the center and connected a kick to the jaw of one of his attackers, while the girl punched another right through a run down car. Two Meatians then fired their blasters in the two's direction. They found their eyes widening though when their targets vanished into thin air. All Gohei did was blink, yet it was all over. The soldier's heads had been smashed together by a combination kick from Kain and the girl. As they fell to the ground unconscious, Gohei scanned the area was in awe at how fast the two had taken care of the remaining Invaders.

Wiping his hands, Kain remarked, "And that takes care of that."

"Too easy! You were amazing though, babe!" said the girl.

The two gave each other a high five, while Gohei found himself scratching his head.

_Man, those two are really strong. Kain sure had me fooled!_

"I was amazing? No, no, no! **You** were amazing, baby!" said Kain.

"Nah, you were **way** more amazing, babe!" said the girl.

"No, no, no! **You** were way, way, **way**, more amazing, baby!"

With a bead of sweat dropping down his face, Gohei felt he had spoken too soon. "W-Would you two **please **stop...whatever that is, for a quick sec?"

"Eh? Oh, Gohei. Haha, I had...forgotten you were there..." Kain rubbed the back of his head and chuckled a couple more times, much to Gohei's annoyance. "Well, I hope you were taking notes, kid. That's how you get things done!"

Gohei grumbled, "Y-Yeah, sure. Got it."

"Oh yeah! Lemme introduce you two! Gohei, this is Sarai, another student from the dojo! Sarai, this little guy here is Gohei!"

Gohei shook Sarai's hand, as she smiled at him in a fashion that caused him to blush.

"So, you're Gohei. Well, Kain was right! You really **do** look like Axel!" said Sarai. She began to rub her had through Gohei's hair, causing his cheeks to flush with even more blood. "Haha, you're a lot cuter than I thought you would be, Gohei!"

"Er...I...um...t-thank you..."

Gohei found himself unable to speak properly and he had no idea why. All the same, if Sarai was from Master Daigu's dojo as well, then it explained how she could fight so well. Now he was most definitely interested in this training if it would make him that powerful.

Kain crossed his arms, frowned, and said, "Hey, if you like him so much, why don't you go on and marry 'em them."

"Haha. You're the only man for me sweetie!"

More of the two's 'lovely-dovey' act went on display when Sarai clutched onto Kain's arm and the two prepped for another kiss. Looking away, Gohei could hardly stand watching them together any longer. It was as if he were inside one of those very cheesy soap opera on television.

"H-Hey, wait a minute!" he said out of the blue. "If you have a girlfriend already, Kain, then how come you were hitting on Tyla back at the dojo?!"

"T-Tyla?! Kain, who the heck is this 'Tyla?'" yelled Sarai, while pulling at Kain's ear.

"N-No, baby, it's not like that! She's...uh...well...!"

Kain shot Gohei a glance that stated 'I'm going to get you for this!', but Gohei couldn't have cared less. He reveled in Kain's misery while he could.

Wanting to change the subject, Kain remarked, "Uh...well, there don't seem to be many of those Invaders around here, well besides the chumps we beat up just now. You have anything to do with that, Sarai?"

"Hmm...wish I could take the credit, but no. When I originally got here, the majority of their forces had already left. I guess they destroyed this city, but left a few goons here to stand watch. I was sneaking around the city when they discovered me. Heh, guess I got a little careless there."

Kain crossed his arms. "I see. Still, I wonder where the rest of them got off to..."

"Wait. Is Sarai the informant you were talking about earlier, Kain?" asked Gohei.

"You got it! If you need information or just someone to sneak around places, Sarai is the person to call!" Kain then thought for a moment prior to facing Sarai. "Er...so, do you have any information for us?"

Sarai poked him on the forehead with an agitated look. "Duh! I might have been caught, but that doesn't mean I screwed the job all the way up! Okay, here's what I learned: these Invaders are all over the planet and all of Earth's armies are getting their butts handed to them left and right. If all this keeps up, I figured these guys will have conquered the Earth within a matter of days."

"A-A matter of days?!" Gohei cried. He figured this invasion was rather effective from the look of things, but he honestly thought they had longer than a couple of days to do something about it. "W-We gotta stop these guys right now then! Before...!"

"Hold your horses, kid," chimed Kain just then. "I understand how you feel, but we can't just rush in guns a blazin' without knowing what we're getting ourselves into. Now then, Sarai, anything else you wanna fill us in on?"

"Sure. Those goons we just beat up..." Sarai picked up one of the unconscious invader for Kain and Gohei to see. "...are only the ground forces. You know, goons, muscle, hired help. They're nothing serious. There are much stronger guys leading this whole thing from what I've heard. Still, they're quite effective at destroying a city or two, as you can see here. What I'm guessing is that they're trying to weaken us using these guys and then their superiors will come in for the kill. I didn't learn who they were working for, but it's safe to say that they're trying to take over our planet by getting rid of us first. It really sucks."

"...I see," replied Kain quietly. He slammed his fist into his palm, suddenly feeling a sense of purpose swell within him. "Guess we really do have to move a little faster to stop this thing! Still, they obviously didn't count the likes of us in their plans! We're gonna stop these guys alright, they can count on it!"

Gohei was happy to see that Kain was taking this seriously. He had made himself out to be nothing more than a clown, but at least he had the strength to back up all his tough talk. Stopping these Invaders would be hard, but like Kain said, Gohei highly doubted they had counted on Earthlings being as strong as they were. Hopefully, his training with Piccolo would come in handy soon enough.

"Anything else, Sarai?" asked Kain.

Sarai had to think for a moment. "Hmm...well, I wasn't able to find one of those red ships these guys have been cruising around in. I figured it had to be close since these guys are here, but its totally vanished into thin air."

"You think they left for good?" said Gohei.

"I doubt it," Kain replied. "Still, I don't sense any of them around, so maybe..."

His attention was diverted toward something glimmering on the ground below, causing him to bend down toward it to get a closer look.

"I've been wondering though..." Reaching down to another knocked out Invader, Kain snatched up the red-lensed device on his face before placing it on his own. He fiddled with the device for a bit and then asked, "What are these things?"

"Oh! Mr. Axel said something about them being able to...uh...read 'Ki'," said Gohei. "I don't really understand that much, but basically, these guys can tell how strong you are by pushing that button on the side there and looking into that glass."

"Really now? Must be pretty handy. Maybe I should hold onto it..."

Gohei wasn't so sure. "I-I dunno. Do you even know how to work that thing? I mean, what happens if you actually blow us up trying to use it?"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?! I just have to push this button here, right?"

"Careful, babe. Who knows what else that thing can do," warned Sarai.

Kain waved his hand about. "Alright, alright, you two! I got it! Sheesh! The way you guys are talking, I'd peg me to be some kinda idiot!"

At the push of the switch, the Scouter came to life. The sound of loud beeping startled the three present at first and Sarai along with Gohei cautiously stepped away. A number came up after Kain turned the machine Sarai's way, though he had no clue what it was supposed to mean.

"T-Three thousand and fifty?"

"H-Hey! I might have put on a little weight, but don't you think that's overdoing it?!" she exclaimed, glancing at her figure.

Gohei said, "No, I-I think that's how strong you are, Ms. Sarai."

"O-Oh...I knew that!"

"Hey, check mine next!"

"Sure," answered Kain, as he scanned Gohei. "One thousand, six hundred, and...two. Huh, I guess that's pretty good for a squirt like you!"

"I-I told you, my name is Gohei..."

"Haha. Yeah, yeah. I'll write it down..." Without warning, Kain's scouter picked up another reading. "H-Huh...that's weird. That ain't one of us. Looks like it's nearby."

The three's soon found out what it was when someone or something impacted the rubble and debris behind them. They braced themselves, each of them getting on guard for the unknown. Gohei had been wondering for awhile now if someone else would show up and he figured it would have been reinforcements for the soldiers that had been stationed here. With the smoke clearing, the three all looked on at an individual stuck face down in the ground, having obviously botched their earlier landing. They watched with narrowed eyelids as the individual struggled to free themselves for a minute or two before seeing that he was indeed one of the Invaders. He was adorned in the same armor as the other, though lacking the shoulder and waist attachments the others sported. Although he had purple skin and spiky, white hair, he looked human enough to the group.

"Haha, not **everyone** is gone, you worms!" he said abruptly, laughing haughtily afterward. He adjusted the white-lensed Scouter over his right eye and continued to smirk. "Well, well, well, it looks like I've run into a couple of worms on my way back here! Haha...now then, I think I'll..." He stopped upon seeing the bodies of his fallen comrades strewn about. "A-Agh! W-What the hell happened to you guys?! I told you that napping on the job would lead to a pay deduction, now didn't I?! Lazy slugs!"

Kain cracked his knuckles and stated, "Hey! You with the stupid face!"

"M-Me?! Stupid face?!" said the Invader, aghast. "I'll have you know that I was voted the 'Most Handsome Devil' on my home planet! The thought that a mere Earthling would question my beauty is laughable! Now then, what happened to all my men stationed here?!"

"Oh, don't mind them. We just decided they could use a little nap. Would you like to join them? Just tell me what hospital you'd liked to be checked into and I can make some arrangements!" Kain answered.

"W-What did you say to me?! Grr...I'll worry about deducting from your paychecks later, guys! You there!" the newcomer pointed directly at Kain. "I'm about to teach you lot a lesson in pain that you'll never forget! Get your notepads ready, wipe the dust off the chalk board, and put on your thinking caps, because I'm about to take you to school! Oh, I hope you have on your backpack, because I...!"

"Okay, we get it already! Sheesh!" barked Sarai, she tightening the fingerless gloves on her hands. "Do you want something, or did you just come to talk our ears off?"

"G-Gah! The nerve of you guys, speaking to the great Elastro in such a manner! I am one of Lord Icer's **Elite** warriors! I've killed more people than the amount of fingers you humans possess on your grubby hands!"

Kain, his expression dropping, retorted, "So...eleven. You've killed eleven people..."

Elastro paused for a moment. He then proceeded to count up the fingers on his own hand, realizing he too had no more than ten. Kain and Sarai shot each other a look of utter confusion, both of them debating on simply walking away.

"W-Wait, that's not what I meant to say! Er...I've killed **way** more people than that! Yeah! Haha, that's it! I think I'll add you worms to the list! You guys made the worse mistakes of your lives when you foolishly choose to approach me!"

"But...we didn't approach you, **you** came to us..." stated Sarai.

There was another short pause, as Elastro had to mull over the statement. Finally, he growled in anger and got into a fighting stance, which in turn made Kain and Sarai do the same.

"Arg! Enough of you two trying to confuse me! Oh boy, you're asking for it now! Oh yeah, I'm gonna beat you two black and blue! I'm gonna hit you so hard, yer kids will feel it in the future! Haha, I'm gonna beat you guys so silly...uh...your mama will...uh...damn it. How did that one go again?"

Kain had had enough of this. "You wanna shut him up, or should I?"

"Might as well shut him up together," Sarai responded.

While Elastro was trying to recall his taunt, his thoughts were harshly interrupted when Kain and Sarai slammed their boots into his jaw. Two or three of his teeth were ejected from his mouth, as the double team attack sent him rolling back against the pavement.

"W-Whoa, whoa, whoa! T-Time out!" he cried, clutching his now bleeding nose. "TIME OUT! That wasn't even fair! I wasn't ready!"

"I-Is this guy for real?" Pointing in his direction, Sarai nodded her head. "I thought he said he was going to beat us 'black and blue?'"

Though tripping at first, Elastro made back to his feet, yet he already appeared more than winded. Gohei watched on and saw that he had barely been able to keep track of both Kain and Sarai's movements that time.

_They don't really need my help. But...where did this guy come from and how come we didn't sense him approaching before he did?_

"Okay, lucky shot!" Coughing, Elastro grinned and put his dukes up. "Put 'em up!"

"Tch. You sure talk a lot," stated Kain.

"But can you actually back it up?" Sarai added.

"Haha! Oh, I'll back it up alright!"

Elastro held out the palm of his hand and launched a massive wave of red energy. The attack caught his opponents off guard and they instinctively jumped upward to avoid it. This, however, led Gohei to be the primary target of the blast, as he just so happened to be in its path. Freezing up, he watched it grow closer and closer until it lit up his terrified countenance.

"W-What?! Wa-aaaaaa-aah!"

"D-Damn it! Kid, get out of the way!" shouted Kain. He flew toward Gohei to try and protect him from the blast, though he smacked his lips once he noted he wouldn't get there in time.

END


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Um...Mr. Piccolo, I don't get why I have to stand like this...?"

When Gohei had asked Piccolo to train him, he hadn't quite expected something like **this**. There he stood, with his arms outstretched and his palm wide open, as if he were about to catch something. While this in itself was by no means strange, Gohei couldn't help but feel there was something malevolent about having to remain in such a position. Piccolo, his eyes shut tightly and his arms crossed, offered no response to Gohei's inquisition, yet he was grinning in a manner that made Gohei even more apprehensive than he already was. Covered in cuts, bruises, and blood, the young boy didn't know how much more of this training he could withstand. He figured it wouldn't have been easy to begin with, but for even one night of training, this was too much. Piccolo had done everything short of killing him in the few hours they spent together and his knees were clattering against one another at the thought of what he was about to have him endure this time.

"Hmph. You've been complaining all night. Quit crying, unless you want to me to break your neck instead!" the Namekian stated harshly, his smirk fading.

"U-Uh...n-no thank you! I-I was just curious as to what we were doing is all..." replied Gohei in a mouse-like tone.

Piccolo looked as if the question had bothered him, though he answered it anyway. "When you're fighting these Invaders, the enemy will not solely rely on their fists, Gohei. They're going to be coming at you with everything they've got and some of them might even resort to using Ki based attacks. Are you following me?"

Gohei nodded. Again grinning, Piccolo suddenly started to gather a large ball of yellow Ki into his palms. This naturally made Gohei panic and his head darted around, he assuming Piccolo's blast was being aimed elsewhere.

"Now then, you're going to learn how to block an opponent's blast and send it right back at them. Got it?!"

"W-Wah?! N-No, I **don't** get it! There's no way I'd be able to do something like that!"

"Tch! Not with **that** attitude! Listen, you have to be able to react to these sort of attacks at a moments notice and counterattack. You think you're opponent's going to care that you're 'not ready?!' Now then, I'm attacking. Prepare yourself!"

Gohei gulped. "Uh...I-I guess I got no choice! I-I'm ready, I guess!"

"Hmph. I won't be holding back, Gohei!" Piccolo rose his hands up to his forehead. "MASENKO...HA!"

The Masenko was **much** larger than Gohei would have liked and he screamed in horror while it headed straight for him. He had no idea how he was supposed to deflect such an attack with his bare hands alone and per the Namekian's words, it really did look like he was giving him his all.

_C-Crap! I'm gonna die!_

Shutting his eyelids and bracing himself, Gohei was nearly knocked off his feet when the Masenko collied with his form. The fact it hadn't obliterated him to begin with was a tad bit reassuring and with all of his might, he attempted forcing the attack away, as it in turn pushed her back further and further. His hands were stinging from the intense Ki and with the pain intensifying, he wondered if it would best to just give up.

_I-I can't keep this up! Gah, l-looks like I'm in over my head here..._

"Why are you hesitating?!" Piccolo yelled. "You know what to do, Gohei! Stop screwing around and do it!"

Gohei was pushed ever farther back now, to the point the Masenko had him cornered. His back was against the wall, yet despite this, Piccolo wasn't giving an inch. Didn't he care if his pupil died? Gohei's forehead began to sweat profusely, while he felt his strength leaving him. If he didn't do something fast, he would be vaporized long before he put Piccolo's training to good use. Moving forward some, the young warrior knew he couldn't falter.

"N-No! I'm...I'm **not** going down like this!"

Power surged up from within him all of a sudden, something Piccolo instantly picked up on. He used his new found vigor and as Gohei screamed, he tossed aside the Namekian's blast into the night sky. A flash of light lit up East City afterward prior to dissipating completely. Gohei's legs gave out on him and reduced him to his knees, as beads of sweat dripped to the ground. A bit awestruck, Piccolo stared at Gohei, seeing the imagine of a friend from long ago just for a moment.

_He really does remind me of Gohan. Yes..._

"D-Did I do it right, Mr. Piccolo?" asked Gohei, still trying to catch his breath.

"Hmm. Not bad."

"H-Huh? N-Not bad?! I-I almost **died**!" Gohei blew on his smoking hands and noted he would have a hard time explaining these burns to Tyla in the morning. "Ow, ow, ow!"

"Still complaining I see..."

Gohei took what Piccolo was hinting at and replied, "B-But I-I'm grateful for you t-teaching that to me, Mr. Piccolo! Please don't break my neck!

Abruptly, Piccolo whipped his cape across the air and he began to walk away from a nervously laughing Gohei, who quickly chased after him.

"W-Wait! Where are you going?! Aren't we gonna train some more? Uh...I was just kidding about the whole neck breaking thing, so...!"

Without facing him, Piccolo replied, "...You don't need anymore of my training. That should be enough to get you along."

"H-Huh?! But we only trained for a couple of hours! I mean, I know how to properly throw a punch now, but...!"

"Listen, kid. You have a lot of potential to be a great fighter someday. At your current level, however, you need to just stick to the basics. If I taught you anymore, I'd be afraid you'd go off using it for the wrong reasons. I'll teach you more once you've gotten your feet wet a bit, but what I've taught you should be enough to defend yourself if things get hairy."

Though Gohei couldn't see it, Piccolo had a wide smile on his face at the moment. He had been more than pleased by Gohei's progress in the short amount of time they spent together, though he felt that his teaching in particular weren't quite right for the boy. Perhaps someone else's tutelage would help him improve more so than if he trained him personally. Nevertheless, the Namekian felt some nostalgia from this meeting here under the moon. He found himself hesitant to part with Gohei like this, although he had training of his own to get to. At the very least, he felt his newest pupil would be alright on his own.

"...I'll be leaving now. Take care. Oh, and if you ever need me, Gohei, just call. I'll show up if I can."

"H-Huh?! Wait, Mr. Piccolo! Wait a second!"

Piccolo disappeared in an instant, just as Gohei ran up to the spot he once resided. He was rather fast, since Gohei couldn't even pick up on his Ki anymore. The young boy's head fell to the ground in disappointment. His first thought was that he had done something to drive Piccolo away. Glancing at his still stinging hands, he disregarded this notion, as Piccolo sounded rather sincere when he had praised Gohei just moments ago. Following after him seemed tempting, although Gohei could imagine the irritated look on Piccolo's face if he did so, making him quickly cast aside the idea.

"Well, thanks again Mr. Piccolo. How am I supposed to call him though? Does he have a phone or something?"

* * *

_That's right! Mr. Piccolo taught me what to do in situations like this! _

Elastro's wave of energy was moments away from destroying Gohei when he finally regained control of his frozen limbs. Holding his hands out the way Piccolo had showed him, he began to withstand the blast, much to surprise of Kain, Sarai, and Elastro. The force behind it was nothing compared to Piccolo's Masenko and with ease, Gohei tossed it aside and into an abandoned building, reducing it to rubble.

"WHAT THE HECK?! How did he do that?!" Elastro's eyeballs almost fell out of their sockets at what he had just seen. "T-There's no way a little kid like him should have been able to do that to my magnificent attack! I call hax!"

Gohei composed himself and awkwardly got into a fighting pose. He would have wondered if he had done so correctly if it weren't for Piccolo literally beating it into him the night before. Regardless, he was going to fight here too. Letting Kain and Sarai do all the work, after all, would do nothing to further his own training. If he was supposed to 'get his feet wet' in a real battle, what better time than now to do so.

Elastro noticed the young boy getting serious and opted to do the same. A cocky grin the spread across his face.

"Eh? You wanna take **me **on?! The great **Elastro**?! Icer's **Elite** soldier?! Haha! While I admit that was an impressive feat you just performed, I wouldn't get so high and mighty, kid!"

Perhaps Elastro had a point, despite the juvenile manner of his taunts. Even with training, Gohei wasn't so sure he could actually take anyone in a fight. Fighting back wasn't something he felt he was good at anyway. Back at the orphanage, if Tyla had been there to protect him, he always ran away. Never once then had he considered lashing back at his aggressors.

_...N-No! I can't run away anymore! I said I was going to fight these Invaders and now that there's one standing in front of me, I can't just back down!_

"...P-Prepare yourself!" he yelled suddenly.

"Prepare myself? Kid, look at these muscles!" Elastro proceeded to flex his non existent muscle mass. "I'm built like a **rock**! There's no way you could...!"

A punch connected dead center on Elastro's chin, knocking right into a nearby building, courtesy of Gohei. The blow had much more power behind it that Gohei assumed it would and he stared at his own fist in awe. Again, Kain and Sarai were caught off guard by his actions.

"H-Huh?! N-Nobody told me this kid could fight already!" Kain exclaimed. "I mean, he threw a good punch back at the dojo, but man, he don't even look like he needs any of my help!"

"He **is** pretty good, but should we just be watching?"

"Let's see what he's got, Sarai. We'll step in if he looks like he's having a hard time."

Elastro climbed his way out of the rubble, missing even more teeth than before. He teetered and tottered all around in a complete daze while clutching his aching jaw. When his vision finally corrected itself, it caused him to scream in a high pitch voice when he saw Gohei charging for him.

"No, no, no! That kid hits like a **truck**!"

Zipping up to Elastro, Gohei readied to attack once more. He unloaded punches and kicks faster than his opponent could keep up and as such, Elastro was barely managing to get out of their way.

"H-Hey, kid! C-Cut that out! What are you tryin' to do, kill me?!"

Gohei didn't respond and Elastro shrieked in terror again when a punch aimed for his face instead destroyed a small home behind him.

"Huh. Say, where are the citizens of Gingertown?" said Kain. "There's no way they like their houses getting wrecked like this."

"Oh, they managed to evacuate the city in time mostly. Seems they were ready for something like this to happen," replied Sarai nonchalantly.

"Good, that means we don't have to hold back while fighting here."

Meanwhile, Elastro was getting a good workout running away from Gohei. A few Ki blasts whizzed over his head and he looked back to see that the young warrior was hot on his trail. He ran even faster because of this, with Gohei having trouble keeping up.

"M-Man! He's really good at running!" he declared, while speeding up.

"Gah! That little guy is a **monster**!" cried Elastro. Having run into a wall, he began to dodging the blasts instead. One he bent backward to avoid and another missed by when spread his legs apart. As he dodged even more, he chimed, "Haha! What are you aiming at, kiddo?! You couldn't hit the broad side of a spaceship like that!"

All this taunting was beginning to get on Gohei's nerves, so he formed an even larger blast using both his hands and let it loose. Elastro merely smirked in its presence before bending his body backwards again. While he did so, he fired of an attack of his own. Gohei's eyes widened and he shifted his body enough to dodge the red wave of energy, although apart of his clothing had been burned in the process.

"H-Huh?! T-That was a close one!"

Elastro's eye flashed when he saw Gohei was not paying him any heed. "Chance!"

He flew in and attempted a straight punch while yelling quite obnoxiously. The noise helped Gohei to realize what was going on, as he blocked using his forearms. Seeing his own opportunity, he countered with a flip kick. As Elastro was thrown back, Gohei placed his hands on his foreheads and charged a large amount of Ki into them.

"MASENKO!"

"A-Agh! That one's gonna sting in the morning! Tch! When I get my hands on that kid...!" A bright yellow light distracted Elastro form his thoughts and much to his horror, the Masenko was just seconds away from crashing into him. "M-Mommy?!"

Gohei's blast demolished a large part of Gingertown along with sending a cloud of dust skyward. The Scouter on Kain's head went off just then, startling him as he had forgotten he was even wearing it. The reading it gave up was precisely '2,500.'

"W-Whoa! I-I didn't see that coming! We really are lucky everyone is gone! Gohei would have roasted them alive!" said Sarai, as she shielded herself from the falling debris. "Huh, what's that thingy doing now, Kainy Poo?"

Kain snatched the device off his head and rubbed his ear. "Gah! That thing's annoying loud. I dunno. I can barely work that thing anyway. Still, I didn't think this kid was this strong. Something ain't right here?"

"What do you mean?" Sarai raised an eyebrow.

"There's no way someone like him should be this strong at his age. Don't you think his strength is just a little...unnatural?"

"Well, I'm sure that Elastro guy down there thinks so..."

Gohei's arms fell to his side and his chest heaved up and down. That last effort had left him a little winded and he honestly hoped Elastro was down for the count. Even so, he began to chuckle at what he had done.

"Heh...I-I actually did it! Aw man, I wish Tyla had been here to see that one!"

"N-NOT...DEAD...Y-YET!"

Somehow, Elastro had survived Gohei's Masenko, although his battle armor had been cracked and damaged beyond recognition, not to mention the cuts on his body made it appear as if he had gone through a meat grinder. He gradually crawled over to Gohei before forcing himself up and struggling to even laugh. As he was about to say something, he hacked up what Gohei could only assume was one of his organs before smirking once more.

"H-Haha! You are a mighty warrior, kid! Too bad that last attack wasn't very effective though! Haha, n-not surprising, since I **am** the Great Elastro!"

"Y-Your hair is on fire..." said Gohei, as he pointed.

"Huh?" It was true. Elastro panicked and rolled around on the ground to put out a strand of his hair that had been set ablaze. "I-It's **supposed** to do that!" The Invader stood up again and put his hands on his sides. "N-Now then! Are you ready for me to get **serious**, kid?! You broke my Scouter and my armor and that's coming out of my paycheck! Now...prepare yourself for my **Ultimate Technique**!"

Just hearing such a claim made Gohei tense up. He readied himself for anything, as Elastro began to move around quite strangely. Kain and Sarai watched on intensely and weren't sure what tricks the Invader had up his sleeve. A gust of wind swept past the battlefield and afterward, Elastro frantically pointed behind Gohei.

"HOLY SHIT, IS THAT A GIANT, PURPLE ELEPHANT?!"

Unable to resist, Gohei leered in the spot where the supposed creature was, only to find there was nothing there. Another glimmer sparked in Elastro's eyes, as he used the opening to punch Gohei right between the eyes.

"Oh yeah! SUCKER! HAHAHAHAHA!" Rather than following up his surprise attack, Elastro instead danced around triumphantly. "Who's the man?!"

Kain palmed his hand over his face. "I-I can't believe he fell for that one!"

Gohei managed to stop himself before he crashed into anything, but held his now bleeding nose in anguish. While Elastro didn't hit nearly as hard as Piccolo, that last blow still packed quite a wallop.

"G-Gah! D-Did I really just fall for that?! The kids at the orphanage used to play that trick on me too..."

"Haha! Did you fall asleep, kid?!"

Unbeknown to Gohei, Elastro had sneaked up on him at some point and before he could react, he nailed him in the side with a kick. Elastro rushed beside his sailing body, hammering him left in right using his fist. Finally, the young warrior was elbowed downward straight into the ground, creating a small crater in the shape of Gohei's body.

"Oh! He's gonna feel that one in the morning," Sarai remarked.

Kain then said, "Yeah, I think it's about time we stepped in..."

Gohei had been knocked for a loop and as every limb attached to him ached, he noticed Elastro hovering above him, flexing his muscles and cackling like a madman.

_I-I can't move! Gah! I-I didn't think that would hurt so much! Is this what a real battle feels like?_

"Haha! You should have eaten your Wheaties, kid! I'm the greatest fighter in the universe, so naturally, there's no way I could have lost to a squirt like you!"

"M-My name...is...G-Gohei! Not s-squirt or...kid!"

Elastro cupped his ear. "Hmm? What was that? I could hear you while you were busy eating dirt down there!"

Gohei dragged himself off the ground and stared Elastro right in the eyes, causing the latter to falter slightly. His opponent might have acted like a fool, but even Gohei had to admit that his attacks were serious. He was ready to fight again nonetheless and would have except for Kain and Sarai landing in front of him.

"That's enough, kid. Take five," declared Kain.

"H-Huh?! I-I'm fine! I don't need your help!" Gohei yelled back.

Ignoring him, Kain spoke again, this time to Elastro. "Why don't you calm down there, 'Mister Greatest Fighter in the Universe!' All you did was beat up a kid. If you want a real challenge, it's right here!"

"Haha! You fools really think yourselves a match for the great Elastro! Heh, I'll knock you clowns down harder than that brat over there!"

"Tch! I-I'm still standing here...guys..." Gohei nearly fell over again, though Sarai managed to catch him beforehand. "T-Thank you."

Sarai smiled and said, "Take a rest like Kain said, Gohei. Don't worry. Just sit back and let the 'grown ups' handle this one."

Although he wanted to protest, Gohei paused for a moment and then obliged the request. His pride was getting in the way, however, since he still wanted to prove he could take care of himself. Kain noted the look on his face and shot him a thumbs up.

"Hey, you did good, kid. Don't look so down. You gotta take a pounding sometimes if you wanna improve, got that?"

Gohei didn't know how to react to such advice. He had honestly never thought of it that way before, but it made sense when he did. The only way to get better and learn from his mistakes was to take a few scrapes or two. He assumed losing was always a bad thing, yet in this scenario it was more of a boon. Nodding at Kain's words, his expression brightened up and he went to the sidelines to watch what would happen next.

"You ready for this, babe?" Sarai asked, winking at Kain.

"Meh, I guess so." Kain stretched his neck out and looked disinterested in the fight. "Man, this is gonna be too easy though. Whatever. Let's just get this over with and get back to East City. Master Daigu's probably wonderin' where we are."

"Hahahahaha!"

"Huh? And what in the world are you laughing at?" Sarai couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Elastro's random laughter.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just found it funny that THERE'S A GIANT PURPLE CAT DANCING IN THE SKY ABOVE YOUR HEADS!"

Unsurprisingly, neither Kain nor Sarai fell for the obvious bait. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Elastro's head, while he pointed a few more times.

"N-No? Nothing?"

"No..." said Kain quietly.

"Damn! I probably should have said a different color instead of purple this time around!" he muttered. "N-No matter! Time to whip out my **best** trick!"

Elastro flipped backward and then held out his arms. Shockingly, they stretched out nearly three times their normal size and Kain and Sarai were unprepared for such a feat. They two managed to leap out of harm's way in time, but Elastro wasn't going to let his prey escape so easily. His arms changed directions in a hurry and ensnared his opponents around the waist tightly like a cobra wrapping around its prey.

"Gotcha!" exclaimed Elastro.

"H-Huh?! S-Since when could he do this?!" As much as Sarai tried to break free, her efforts proved fruitless. The grip around her was simply too strong.

Kain smacked his lips. "D-Dammit! We got careless!"

"Careless indeed! Ha, did you think I was bluffing when I said I had a few more tricks up my sleeve! Now then, I'll be breaking every bone in your bodies now!"

Elastro increased the pressure on both Kain and Sarai until the sounds of something cracking were emitted from their bodies. They screamed in agony, all while Gohei got up from his seat in shock.

"H-He was holding back on me!" he proclaimed. "W-Was this all apart of his plan? Make himself look like an idiot and then use his weird powers on us?"

"Haha! The sounds of your bones snapping are like music to my ears! I should totally record this and put it on my MP3 player later!" said Elastro with a chortle.

"L-Like hell!" shouted Kain. "Ryunaru!"

An orange-colored aura flared up around Kain and his physique doubled in size almost instantly. Gohei had seen this technique before alright. It was the same one Axel himself had employed while fighting Plinto. Using his newfound strength, Kain powered his way out of the Invader's grasp with the mere flex of his arms. Elastro then watched yet another of his teeth exit his mouth when Kain slugged him across the face. Sarai was freed from his clutches with her captor taken down.

"Whoa! I gotcha!" Kain caught her just as she would have impacted the pavement. "You alright there, baby?"

Sarai held her head. "Well, I guess I won't need to see that chiropractor after all now..."

"A-Aw! Y-You guys owe me a trip to the dentist after this!" Elastro cradled his swollen right cheek and stood up. His voice was muffled some thanks to his many missing pearly whites. "Bah! And I was saving all of those teeth for the Tooth Fairy..."

There was no time for him to mull over his troubles. Kain was hot on his tail and he had to stretch his body to the side to avoid a kick. As Kain threw a few more blows, Elastro did the same thing, bending his body in various fashions to get out of the way. It was quite effective, enough to cause Kain to loose his cool and shoot a point blank energy wave.

"Oho! Nice try!" stated Elastro. He had managed to stretch his whole head this time to get out of harm's way. "They call me the 'Rubber Band Man' on my home planet! You see, everyone of my race can move their body around like this and..."

The explanation was cut short thanks to Kain's fist. He made contact this time, as he socked Elastro with a right hook. Elastro watched one of his teeth fly along with him through a number of trees, pained to see it leave him like the others.

"P-Probably should have spent more time fighting, rather than explaining stuff..."

An individual managed to save him from further harm though by catching him.

"Oh, thank heavens you were there! I almost broke my...!" Regrettably, the one who had broken his fall was Sarai, who gleefully smirked at him. "...Fuck my life."

"Hello there!" she said, right ahead of kneeing him right in the gut. Blood exploded out of his throat, as he clutched his stomach and stumbled back.

"U-Uncle! UNCLE!" he managed to say, crashing to his side. This declaration stopped Sarai from knocking his head clean off mid kick. "For the love of Icer, **UNCLE**!"

Kain walked over to him and picked him up by his collar. "What was that? I couldn't hear you on account of all your broken bones creaking."

Tears and snot covered Elastro's face as he stated, "I-I said I give! I'm throwing in the towel! I'm waving the white flag of surrender! Just **please** stop hitting me! M-My medical insurance doesn't cover all of this!"

"Well, well, well. What happened to all that tough talk?" said Kain. He raised a fist, which made Elastro flinch and whimper. "Haha! "Universe's Greatest Fighter' my ass!"

"What should we do with him, Kainy Poo? Should we oblige his request?"

Thinking it over, Kain responded, "Hmm. Well, Sarai, he **did** just try to kill us..."

"W-Wait! I-I was just...uh...m-messing with you guys, yeah!" declared Elastro.

"Messing with us? You almost broke us in half! Tch! I've got half a nerve to break your face in right now!" yelled Kain, cocking his fist back again.

"A-Ah! M-Mommy, help!"

"So pathetic..." Sarai shrugged and turned away, finding it difficult to look at Elastro's pitiful form any longer.

"Hmm...alright, alright! Fine, we won't touch ya anymore!" said Kain.

"R-Really?"

"No." Kain hammered his kneecap into Elastro's stomach. The recipient began to foam at the mouth prior to passing out. Stretching his neck, Kain sighed in relief. "There we go. That oughta shut him up. Sarai, you got some rope on you?"

"Rope? Ah, I see where you're going with this!"

Why they were tying Elastro up right now, Gohei had no clue. All he knew was that Kain and Sarai were unbelievably strong. Perhaps strong enough to really give these Invaders a run for their money.

* * *

"W-Why the heck do **I **have to carry this guy?! H-He weighs a ton!"

Lugging Elastro on a rope certainly wasn't what Gohei had in mind and he was distinctly struggling to do the task. His arms were burning like lava at the moment, as he pulled on the rope a little tighter. He then frowned and looked forward, disturbed by the fact that neither Kain or Sarai were bothering to lend him a hand. In fact, they were flying comfortably ahead of him. The group was on their way back to East City, yet neither of the two ahead of him had explained to Gohei why it was they were bringing Elastro along with them.

"Quit yer complaining!" said Kain. "Just consider it part of your training!"

"I-I highly doubt this has anything to do with that! You're...you're just lazy!"

"Hey, you keep yappin' and I'm gonna make you carry us too!"

Gohei snarled, but kept his trap shut. He looked down at Elastro's battered and bruised face and as he swung around on the rope, Gohei couldn't help but be reminded of a Piñata.

"Y-You guys will pay with you** lives** for this injustice! Now then, release me!" cried Elastro. "I am one of Lord Icer's Elites! You...you can't treat me this way!"

"Do you **really** want me to drop you?" asked Gohei behind a raised eyebrow. Elastro glanced down at saw how high they were, causing him to slowly gesture 'no' with his head. "Yeah, I didn't think so."

"Be quiet back there!" Kain barked. "You're lucky we're even lettin' ya breathe for what you guys've done to this planet!"

Elastro retorted, "Hmph! Like I care about that! You all can burn for all I care!"

"I don't think Piñata's are supposed to talk," chimed Gohei.

Kain couldn't have agreed more. "You're right. Go ahead and get your candy, Gohei."

Kicking Elastro upside the head, Gohei exclaimed, "Looks like I'm a winner!"

"G-Gah! D-Damn you all! Grr, why the hell is this rope so tight?" said Elastro, as he struggled in vain to break free from his bindings.

"Ha, I used to be Boy Scout when I was little and I won the ribbon for "Best Knot Tighter!" replied Kain, with a sense of pride in his words.

"So, what should we do with him?" Sarai glanced back at Elastro and winked. In return, he shot her a raspberry.

"Might as well question him a little. He might have some information we could use."

"Oh yeah. After all, one of 'Lord Icer's Elites' should know a lot!"

Elastro's face reddened. "H-Hey! What's **that** supposed to mean?!"

"Quiet." Kain stated. "We'll be asking the questions here. Now then, who is this 'Lord Icer' you keep babbling on about? Your boyfriend?"

"Ha! You Earthlings really are stupid, aren't you! Heh, I guess I might as well tell you since you're all gonna end up dead anyway! Lord Icer is the galaxy's...no, the **universe's **one and only ruler! Oh, you guys are gonna be in for it once he finds out what you've done to me!"

"Huh, never heard of 'em." Shrugging, Kain lost interest in the conversation, much to Elastro's dismay.

"H-Hey! I'm serious! You have no idea who you're messing with!"

Gohei then inquired, "Is he really that strong?"

"Strong? Heh! You chumps don't even know the **meaning** of strong! Once, I saw him snap this guy in half using only his **finger**!"

"W-What?! H-His finger?!"

"That's right! I promise you he will make you fools pay for this!"

"Yeah, yeah. Would ya be quiet now?" said Kain.

The group soon neared Easy City and as they did, they couldn't help but heed a billowing cloud of smoke coming from a specific direction. Besides burning their eyes, it blinded everything in front of them. Gohei knew the smell it was emitting well. It was the scent of something burning.

"Damn! What...what the hell?!" Kain covered his eyes from the miasma and tried his best to see in front of him. "E-East City should be around here somewhere, although it's hard to see with all this stuff flying around."

"Something's on fire," Gohei then stated, alarming his comrades.

"I got a bad feeling about this," chimed Sarai.

Unsettling the three even more was Elastro's sudden and disturbing bout of laughter. There was certainly nothing humorous about their predicament at the moment, so they couldn't help but find his actions perplexing. Gohei wondered if perhaps he had simply taken too many blows to the head.

"Alright, what the hell is so funny?" Kain asked.

"Heh, heh, heh. You guys are such idiots," was Elastro's simple reply.

"Idiots? Hey man, you're the one all tied up and missing a few teeth."

"Haven't you all wondered where my comrades have gotten off too? Surely you didn't think they had just up and left the area?"

Kain though to himself for a moment and then replied, "S-SHIT! Fuck! I hadn't even thought of that! Gah, I'm so **stupid**!"

"Thought of what?" said Gohei.

It didn't take long for him to find out. The moment they exited the cloud of smoke, they were witness to a large metropolis below burning furiously. It was East City. Gasping in shock, Gohei already knew what had befallen the city while he and the others were gone. The mere sight of the chaos made Elastro cackle even louder.

"N-No!" Sarai covered her mouth with her eyes tearing up. "T-This can't be!"

"Dammit! We got here too late!" shouted Kain, swinging his fist at the air.

Gohei then pointed and said, "L-Look! It's one the Invader's ships!"

A crimson, circular spaceship was raining down laser beams as the three spoke, destroying different sections of the city as it zipped across. Balling his hand up, Gohei could hardly stand by and watch this happen. He had already witnessed more than enough of this destruction back in West City. Even now, the faces of those he lived with at the orphanage flashed inside his head, upsetting him even more. He started to fly on ahead when Kain stopped him.

"Stop, you idiot! Do you really think you can take that thing on by yourself?!"

"I...dammit!" said Gohei in return, as he lowered his head.

"Hmph! You see what happens when you stupid Earthlings resist us?" stated Elastro behind a coy smile. "Just look at it all burn! Hahahahaha!"

"Y-You shut your god damn mouth!" Gohei delivered a punishing right hook that nearly decapitated Elastro, it instead forcing more blood from his mouth. It took everything in the young boy's power not to kill him right there. "Tch! Y-You're lucky we still need to question you!"

"Oh shit! Master Daigu!"

Upon remembering his Master was in danger, Kain shot like a bullet out of a gun toward the Ryu'Jinei Martial Arts Dojo. Gohei and Sarai had little choice but to follow. Gohei just prayed that Daigu, his students, and Tyla, were okay.

* * *

The gate in front of the dojo collapsed moments after the three arrived at the staircase. Kain didn't bat an eyelash though, racing up the staircase with Sarai right behind him. Trying to follow, Gohei was having trouble thanks to him carrying around Elastro. He gradually made his way up, not caring that Elastro's face was colliding with every single step while he did.

"Okay, you could be just a little...ow...more...ow...gentler!" cried Elastro and another one of his teeth rolled down the stairs.

Kain finally reached to top, only to find the main building in flames. He immediately feared the worst and as he reached the door, he saw debris blocking the exit.

"Dammit! Sarai, help me blast this away!"

"Right!"

The two fired energy waves, destroying the door and clearing a path. Not missing a beat, Kain leaped inside. Gohei himself appeared just as he did and he quickly collapsed on the ground, exhausted from the workout.

"I-I can't feel my legs..."

"Oh yeah?! I've got you beat! I can't feel my **fucking** **face**!" said Elastro bitterly.

Gohei paid the remark no heed and instead walked over to Sarai. Tears were running down her face, as she somberly watched the dojo crumble under the flames.

"It's...it's all gone!"

"I-I'm sorry...Sarai. I-I don't know what to say..." Suddenly, Gohei remember that Tyla was nowhere to be seen and he dropped Elastro in a hurry before rushing in behind Kain. "Oh crap! Please tell me she's still okay!"

The moment he stepped in the building, a piece of flaming wood nearly crushed him. He could have cared less about that, however, and searching around, he saw no sign of Tyla. The flames were growing hotter and larger by the second and if he didn't hurry, he would perish inside this dying dojo.

"T-Tyla! Where are you?! Tyla!"

"G-Gohei...?" The voice that replied was weak and far away since he could barely hear it over the roaring fire. There was no mistaking it, however. Gohei was positive it was Tyla's.

"Tyla! Hold on! Where are you?! I-I can't see you!"

Walking toward the sound of her voice, Gohei quickly discovered Tyla trapped underneath some rubble. Pulling it off of her was a snap and grabbing her head, he was more than a little relieved to see that she appeared unharmed.

"Tyla! Are you okay?!"

"G-Gohei! So, you made it back after all," she said with a smile.

"No time for that! We gotta get you out of here! You sure you're okay though?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, other than being a little hot."

Another piece of debris landed a few feet away from them and they took it as a sign that it was time to split. Gohei couldn't see where he came in, so he simply blasted another hole into the wall and leaped out of it with Tyla in his arms. With that, the two of them along with Sarai waited to see if Kain and the others would emerge. The dojo had almost burned down completely, yet there was no sign of them.

"Oh, Kainy Poo, hurry up!" said a worried Sarai.

"Sheesh, what's taking him so long?" Gohei crossed his arms and debated on going back inside to find everyone himself. "If he's trying to wait 'til the last second to come outta there then he can save the dramatics and just hurry up!"

Right as he said that, Kain, Master Daigu, and the students of the dojo all bustled out of the edifice. They did so while it finally crumbled to the ground.

"K-Kainy Poo! You're...you're okay!" Sarai rushed over to Kain and gave him the biggest hug she could muster. "I-I honestly though I lost you for a second!"

Kain grinned. "Heh. It'd take more than a nasty fire to get rid of me! Sorry I took so long though. I was just having a bit of trouble finding everyone." He then glanced at Gohei and Tyla. "Good. Looks like you found her. When I didn't see her inside, I hoped you had beat me to the punch.

"Yeah, looks like everything worked out somehow..." Gohei muttered.

"Is everyone present alright?" inquired Master Daigu.

"More or less, but...what happened?! We weren't even gone that long! How could the Invaders have struck so soon?!"

"I...cannot say. Everything happened so swiftly that we barely had any time to react. Most of the students were killed in the initial attack. The ones you see here are all that's left of my dojo. The building is but a small loss, but the students...they are not so easily replaced."

Tyla added, "W-We...gathered up who we could and took shelter for awhile. That's when we got trapped inside. We wouldn't have made it out if it weren't for you guys..."

Kain began to grit his teeth at the news, while his fellow students placed their gaze to the floor. He couldn't help but feel that this was his fault. If he hadn't left in the first place, there might have been something he could have done to prevent all this.

"It's...just like with West City," Gohei said under his breath.

"T-That's it! We gotta hit these Invaders back **right now**!" declared Kain in a loud and booming voice. "We know they're in those ships up there, so let's hit 'em hard, hit 'em fast, and hit 'em...!"

An explosion of some sort went off in the distance. Everyone braced themselves for it, as the Invader's ship passed by overhead. The sight of it alone was enough to bring everyone's blood to a boil.

"Kain..." Master Daigu stroked his long beard and said, "That would be a foolish endeavor to actually undertake."

"W-Wha?! Why, Master?!"

"Yeah! I don't see the problem!" chimed Sarai.

"We gotta makes these guys pay, don't we?!" asked Gohei.

Kain added, "I'm not waiting! I'm going to...!"

"ENOUGH!" Slamming his walking stick into the ground, Master Daigu made everyone cover their ears from the sound of his voice. His expression was white with anger and Gohei realized he had never seen him this upset before.

"Damn, that old guy has lungs..." Elastro muttered.

"Now then...I understand your anger, however, we are at a disadvantage right now. The people who did this may still be out there, but we are powerless to do anything about that at the moment. We have no strategy and no knowledge of how this enemy goes about. Rather than charging head first into certain death, we will lie low for the time being, calm our heads, and decide on what we will do next then and only then."

"B-But Master...!"

"Enough, Kain. I have spoken and I will not hear another objection. I am not suggesting we flee, but regroup for now. We will retreat to my underground bunker nearby. I had it built under the pretense that something such as this would occur. Come, everyone."

Daigu took point and everyone other than Kain began to trail after his hobbling form. Kain merely glanced into the foreground, where East City where the flames from its burning structures made the darkening sky glow a deep orange. This was the city he loved, the city he had grown up in. To see it destroyed like this and be unable to do anything about it was utterly heartbreaking.

"...I'll be back. Then, I'll make those Invaders pay!"

Everyone had gone now, save one person. Elastro was still tied up, but it looked as if everyone had forgotten about him.

"H-Hey, you guys! Y-You can't just leave me here! Gah! It's hot!"

END


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

All Kain could think to do in this situation was bang his head against the wall in frustration. Sitting around and waiting never was his style. He was more of a 'get up and go' type of guy, the kind of person that made this happen with his own two hands. As such, hiding like a trapped rat was beginning to drive him mad.

His eyes shifted over to Elastro, who was still tied up and currently being fed from a spoon by Tyla. The Invader's tongue greedily snatched up the spoonful of meat, much to Tyla's annoyance and disgust.

"Mhmm, mhmm! I hadn't eaten all day!" declared Elastro. "Come on! More! More!"

"Sheesh! Hold your horses!" Tyla rolled her eyes and gave him a bit more.

Daigu's secret underground bunker was quite small, barely large enough to accommodate the amount of people it was forced to hold at the moment. It was a rectangular room with shelves upon shelves of food, water, and other supplies needed to get through a crisis such as this one. At the far end of the room was a large, metallic door, sealed tightly by numerous locks, including a circular one in the center.

Many of Daigu's students were scattered about the room, standing around, sitting, or doing what they could to pass the time. Gohei had fallen asleep against a wall, while Sarai was thinking to herself in a corner. Kain's head watched everyone, switching from person to person until he couldn't stand it anymore. What were they waiting for? Why were they sitting around letting the enemy do whatever with their precious East City? Master Daigu noticed his impatience, but said nothing.

"Tch. We shouldn't be wasting food on **this** guy," said Kain, pointing at Elastro. "We've got too many people here for him to be sucking up all our air and food!"

Tyla frowned. "Well, I know what you're trying to say, but don't you think it would be inhumane to just let him starve? We may not be on good terms right now, but I can't just sit back and watch while he says he's hungry."

"Yeah, so why don't you just sit down, shut up, and be quiet!" Elastro cackled to himself after his statement, though Tyla quickly bopped him on the head.

"Be quiet or I really won't feed you."

"Y-Yes ma'am..."

Kain felt as if he really were going to lose his head now. Crashing his skull even harder against the wall, he attracted the attention of everyone present, even managing to startle Gohei out of his nap.

"Babe, are you doing okay?" asked Sarai, as she walked over to him.

"...Y-Yeah. I'm just a little pissed off is all."

"You're pissed off?! Try having some guy make a racket while you're trying to sleep!" yelled Gohei.

Kain paid the remark no heed. "We should be out there fighting..."

"I know, I know," stated Sarai. She took a seat next to him just then. "You seriously worry about this stuff too much though. Everything's gonna work out in the end."

"You think so?" Kain rested his head on her shoulder. "I sure hope you're right, Sarai."

Gohei leered at the two from the corner of his eye before noting he had no idea what time it was. There were no windows or openings in this bunker, so it was hard for him to tell how many hours had passed. A dim light bulb swinging overhead was the group's sole source of light. He sat up some up wondered if the Invaders were still causing havoc outside. The explosions and tremors from earlier had ceased and as he put his ear to one of the walls, all he could hear was complete silence.

"Huh...it's quiet," he said out loud.

Kain listened in as well, his ear twitching at the stillness. "H-Hey! He's right! What's going on now then?"

"Hmm...our attackers may have either left the area...or perhaps they are staying their hand for a later attack. I cannot say for sure," Master Daigu answered.

"Alright!" Kain slammed his fist into his other palm and grinned. "Now's our chance to find those bastards and make 'em pay!"

"No, Kain. It is as I said previously. We shan't go out there without some kind of strategy."

"B-But Master, with all due respect, we're going to get **nothing** accomplished by sticking in this place! People outside are **dying**!"

"Heh, heh, heh! Is that what you're worried about?" Behind a series of chuckles, Elastro chimed, "Don't worry then. You all'll be joining those losers upstairs in the next world soon enough! But hey, if you wanna speed up the process, feel free to go up there now. My comrades will surely teach you lot a lesson in pain!"

Without warning, Kain ran over to Elastro, snatched him up out of his seat, and cocked his fist back to take a swing at his smug face. Gohei and Sarai, however, quickly held him back. Elastro willed himself to laugh some more, despite him trembling.

"H-H-Haha...y-you wouldn't have the...g-guts to hit me!"

"Think again, Invader!" Kain was foaming at the mouth at this point. After much deliberation, he tossed Elastro away while growling. "You ain't worth the trouble though..."

Dealing with Elastro would have to come later. Kain was more concerned with another matter at the moment. He headed in the direction of the bunker's exit ahead of turning the metal wheel that opened the thick and sturdy contraption.

"If you leave this place, Kain, you may die," Master Daigu said.

"Fine," was his response. He unbolted a series of locks, but Sarai's hand stopped him from undoing the last one, as he faced her. "Sarai, this is something I have to do."

"Listen to the Master, Kain! If he thinks it's really that dangerous, than maybe we should..."

"What? Stay down here with our tails between our legs?! That's exactly what these Invaders want us to do! If someone doesn't do something to stop these guy, they're going to take over the whole world! I don't care if I die! I'd rather die trying then die hiding down here like a rat! If you wanna stop me, then you're going to have to do so by force!"

Sarai's eyes widened. "K-Kainy Poo..."

Gohei had never heard Kain talk like this before. There was so much passion in his voice. It was rather obvious to him that no matter what anyone said, they weren't going to stop him from leaving. Just hearing all this was beginning to inspire Gohei himself and hesitantly, he stood.

"I-I...I wanna go too!" he proclaimed. "Kain, take me with you!"

"G-Gohei! Are you crazy?!" yelled Tyla. "Y-You can't go up there now! It's way too dangerous! What are you...!"

"I-I know, but...I-I don't wanna sit around doing nothing either! So please, Kain! Take me with you so we can avenge everyone that've died so far!"

"Tch. You've got some guts kid." For some reason, Kain noted that he couldn't stop smiling right now. "Fine! You're with me then! However, you'll do exactly as I say when we get up there, okay?!"

"R-Right!"

Tyla shook her head. "T-This is crazy! A-Are you guys sure about this?"

"I-I've already made my decision, Tyla!" said Gohei, nodding at his own speech.

Master Daigu let the words he was hearing simmer inside of his head. There was a fire burning in both Kain and Gohei's eyes, one that reminded him of himself in his youth. If he were still young and as headstrong as they were, he supposed he too would want to throw caution to the wind like this. The old master and Kain shared a gaze of understanding and then he made his decision.

"I see. If that is how the two of you feel, then I will no longer stop you. You both should be fine if you go together."

"Haha! Alright! Thanks a lot, Master!" said Kain. "Sarai! I'll take the kid over there..."

"Gohei!" Gohei interrupted.

"...the **kid** over there. You stay here and protect the Master and everyone else. Oh...and keep an eye on that idiot over there..." Upon pointing at Elastro, Kain caused him to stick his tongue out. "See if you can't get him to squeal about some more stuff for us."

"Sure thing, babe! And this is for good luck!" Sarai landed a passionate kiss on Kain's lips, nearly making steam shoot out of his ears. "Give 'em hell out there!"

"Say, Tyla...could **I **get a goodbye kiss?" Gohei chuckled nervously and scratched his chin, half expecting Tyla to chew him out for the joke.

Her face reddening, she answered, "H-Huh?! Idiot!"

Gohei received a punch on the top of his head for his trouble, but much to his surprise, Tyla smooched him quickly on his cheek afterward.

"H-Hwha?! T-Tyla...w-what...?!"

"F-For good luck, right?" she said, blushing slightly. "I guess you're just too stubborn to talk some sense into, so just be careful, alright? Watch each other's backs out there."

"I got it! I'll be back as soon as I can!"

Everyone else wished Kain and Gohei good luck and the two of them unlocked the door to the cellar before dashing up the staircase. As they ran, they had no clue what was awaiting them on the surface. The Invaders were probably still hanging around somewhere and if they were, the both of them promised to make them regret it.

"Ahahaha! Those guys are as good as dead!" Elastro's voiced boomed all around, but he became deathly silent when Sarai hovered above him with her hands on her hips. "A-Agh! P-Please don't hit me!"

An evil smirk planted itself on Sarai's face. "That's right, I still have to question you about some stuff, don't I?"

"Uh...what if I just gave you my phone number instead?"

"Nah uh. You're not my type," Sarai stated, cracking her knuckles.

The sight of this made Elastro scream like a little girl, yet even so, he managed to reach to a device on his arm before pressing a small, red button there.

* * *

Kain and Gohei flew above the skies of East City, the two seeing that most of it was still aflame. The full moon hung high in the sky and its beauty was somewhat out of place amongst the destruction below. Gohei found himself drawn to it, so much so that Kain had to snap him out of his trance to point out that he was about to slam head first into a building.

"Wake the hell up, kid! What's your problem?!"

Gohei dodged the edifice and sighed in relief. "N-Nothing. I...just got distracted is all. Say, where do you think all the citizens of East City are? I don't see any of them down below. You...you don't think they're all..."

"No. A lot of them should have gotten to safety in time. We had a feeling these Invaders would show up sooner or later, so the city prepared an evacuation ahead of time. I'm just hoping that it worked alright and not too many people got hurt. Still, there's bound to be some stragglers somewhere, not to mention the people that might have stayed behind..."

"Ah, I-I see..."

"Say, do you like the moon or something?"

Kain's question was a bit random. As such, it took Gohei a minute or two to come up with a response. "K-Kinda. Back at the orphanage, Tyla and I would sit on the roof whenever there was a full moon and just...talk. She said she liked how pretty it looked in the night sky. Guess I was just thinking about her when I was gazing up at it just now."

"Oho! You two are always together, aren't you?" said Kain, who was grinning widely.

"S-So what if we are?! W-What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing. Nothing. Don't mind me. I just uh...noticed you two seem rather...close is all," chimed Kain with a stupid expression.  
Gohei's cheeks flushed with blood. "S-Shouldn't we be focused on finding those Invaders right now?!"

"Haha! Sure, sure!" Scanning the surrounding area, Kain abruptly stopped upon seeing that there was absolutely nothing in sight. "Damn. Don't tell me those guys really are gone? If only there was a way to make sure..."

"...W-Wait! I think there is! Kain, do you still have that weird machine from earlier?"

"Weird machine? Oh! You mean this?" Kain pulled out the Scouter he had acquired, placing it on his face. "I gotcha! We can use this thing to figure out where they are! Er...assuming I don't blow myself up trying to figure it out first..."

He pushed the button on its side and brought the device to life. Most of the words on the lens were in some foreign language he couldn't understand, yet the number in the far right corner was legible. His head whipped all around, as he tried to pick up some kind of reading. Finally, the Scouter picked up a huge series of power levels toward the east.

"Huh...I think there's some people over there, about a couple miles that-a-way," he stated. "Let's see...yeah, definitely that direction. H-Hey!"

Gohei raised an eyebrow. "W-What?"

"L-Looks like there's a **really** big one over there. It's about..." Before he could get the reading, the Scouter exploded. Clutching his left eye, Kain shouted, "A-Agh! W-What the hell?!"

"Ah! Are you okay, Kain?!"

"Y-Yeah, but it looks like that thing overloaded. Probably not a good sign. Anyway, that might be where the guys we're looking for are. Whatdya say we check it out?"

It was decided. Ten miles east of East City was their destination and without a moment's delay, Gohei and Kain streaked off into the night, with the moonlight shining off of them.

* * *

Soon enough, they arrived above a large, lush green forest. The closer they got to it, the more the two could pick up multiple signatures of Ki in the area. They landed, under the impression they had arrived to where the Invaders were currently located. Darkness covered everything in front, behind, and around them and the moon provided little to no illumination thanks to how high the evergreen trees rose into the sky. Improvising, Kain created a ball of energy that provided he and Gohei with a way to see up ahead. They traveled deep within the vegetation until they reached a spot in the center than was very bright, hurting their eyes even. Startled, they were surprised to see that they had stumbled upon a massive red ship of some sort situated in a clearing: the **Invader's** vessel. Two guards were standing watch near what Kain assumed was an entrance, so both he and Gohei hastily took shelter behind some trees.

"Jackpot!" he whispered, shooting Gohei a thumbs up.

"Looks like it. I wonder what they're doing all the way out here though."

"Me too. I don't think there's any towns or villages around here. Maybe they're just taking a break or something." His head peeking out, Kain gasped when a small platoon of armored soldiers landed from a different direction. They must have just come back from somewhere else, he thought and he watched the lot of them enter the ship with the guard's blessings. "Shit! There's more of 'em! I see more guards coming to the outside as well. Six, seven, hell, I can't tell. It's too dark over here and I don't have my glasses."

"You wear glasses?"

"Shh! Quiet, kid! I'm thinking!"

The soldiers outside were armed with nothing more than blasters. Kain figured he would be able to take down a couple of them if that was all they had, but he was positive his actions would just alert those inside to his presence. He could handle a couple of soldiers, but the whole army was another story. He figured maybe the individual's heading this invasion were inside the ship and if he could successfully sneak in and take them out, it would be like cutting the head off of a chicken. Then, he wouldn't even need to deal with the others personally. An idea came to him at that notion..

"T-That's it!" he declared, but in a quiet tone of voice.

"W-What?! Would you fill me in on what it is you're thinking?!" said Gohei.

"Kid, cover your eyes!"

"Huh? Cover my...?"

Before Gohei could get a reply, Kain leaped into the air and placed his hands on his forehead. By then, the guards had gotten plain sight of him, fixing their guns toward him, yet this had been all apart of his plan.

"TAIYOKEN!"

An absolutely blinding flash of light lit up the area the moment Kain finished speaking. The nearby soldiers and Gohei himself were dazzled by it in the aftermath, each of them shouting and holding their eyes painfully. Disoriented, Gohei had no clue what was going on or what had just happened. Someone grabbed his arm and from what he could tell, he was being dragged off somewhere.

"A-Agh! W-What the hell was that?! M-My eyes! I-It's like someone dipped them in **lava**!"

That was by far one of the most excruciating experiences of Gohei's life. He frantically rubbed his eyes in an attempt to get his vision back, thinking salt had been dumped into them.

A voice then stated, "You should have closed your eyes like I said, kid."

It was Kain's voice, that was for sure. With his eyes still tearing, Gohei looked over to see Kain smiling at him. Upon further inspection, Gohei saw that they were in some kind of white storage room, with machines and boxes of unknown origin all around them.

"Is this...the inside of the ship?" he asked.

"You got it. Damn, I didn't get us in here as quietly as I would have liked though."

"W-What in the world was that technique you did?! I thought I was gonna go blind!"

"Oh, so you like it, huh? It's called the 'Taiyoken!' I learned it from Master Daigu, who in turn said he learned it from some three-eyed guy a long time ago. Comes in handy at times like this, dontcha think?"

"T-Three eyed-guy?"

Footsteps from the hallway on the other side of the room sounded off in a frenzied manner. Right after that, an alarm began blaring throughout and the room they occupied was hued in a deep red.

"Yup, they know we're here alright. And I thought that would work too." Kain said.

"A-Ah! What are we supposed to do now?!" cried Gohei in a frantic manner.

"Uh...I'm...still working on that!"

"W-What?! D-Didn't you think about what would happen when we were outside?!"

Kain chuckled. "Well, not exactly. Like I said, I thought that trick would work. Anyway, let's wait for the coast to be clear, then we'll dash on outta here."

Everything around them soon became still. When the cost was indeed clear, Kain gave the signal for the two to run and they did so, exiting the sliding door and into a rather cramped corridor. Gohei didn't see any alien soldiers nearby, not that he was complaining, though he wondered where they had gotten off to in such a hurry. He and Kain lowered their guards a little to access the situation and saw a door in front them and behind them The one ahead was locked and no matter how hard Kain banged against it, it refused to budge. The other they weren't able to check because the sound of someone walking on the other side of it alerted them.

"Gah! Must be one of the Invaders!" Kain proclaimed. "Damn, I figured they would be too busy looking for us to come back here so soon! Alright, here's the plan! On the count of three, we ambush whoever comes from behind that door and take 'em out before they even know what hit 'em, got it?!"

"U-Uh...r-right! Got it!" said Gohei.

The door slid open from bottom to top and they initiated their plan. There was a short tussle on the ground with their victim with Kain winning out in the end. He tightly placed whoever it was in a full nelson, but Gohei gasped at the individual's identity.

"A-Axel?!" he exclaimed.

"Y-Yes..." A drop of sweat was on the side of Axel's head. "I-I do not know what you both are trying to do, but would it be too much to ask for you to release me?"

Kain complied. "O-Oh, it's you. My bad..."

"I take it you both mistook me for an Invader? Yes, I had been thinking the same thing until I sensed your energies. Perhaps I should have said something ahead of time."

"Haha! Y-Yeah, my bad. Hey, what are you doing here anyway?"

"Most likely, for the same reason as you both," said Axel. He crossed his arms and thought to himself for a moment. "After that business with Plinto, I thought I would try and locate the Invader's main base and see if I could get them to stop this invasion."

The mere mention of Plinto made Gohei remember everything that had happened back in the mountains. He had nearly died there, but thanks to Axel, he was still in one piece. The question remained though on how Axel had won in the first place. Tyla had been reluctant to tell him for some reason when he asked her and Axel certainly didn't look like he was going to be victorious the last time Gohei had saw him.. Trying to forget about that whole mess, he knew there was no time for that right now.

"Are you alright, Gohei?" asked Axel, snapping him back into reality.

"H-Huh?! O-Oh yeah...sorry. Was just thinking about something."

Kain raised his shoulders. "Sheesh! That's the second time now you've spaced out like that! Pay attention, kid!"

"...Says the guy who attacks people without thinking," Gohei replied, frowning.

"H-Hey! I said I was sorry, didn't I?!"

Axel pointed up ahead. "I hate to interrupt you two, but we should probably get a move on. No doubt the guards and people stationed here know of our presence after that little 'stunt' you pulled earlier, Kain."

"O-Oh...y-you saw all that?" An uneasy chortle resounded from Kain, as he rubbed the back of his head.

"You would have to be blind not to notice that!" said Gohei.

"W-Would you be quiet already?!"

Perhaps their talking had attracted the attention of the battalion of armored soldiers in currently standing front of them, each of them aiming their blasters their way. The three scattered like cockroaches to avoid the stream of lasers filling the hallway and they opted to run toward the sealed door behind them. Not caring for subtlety, Axel used a Ki blast to blow a gaping hole in it. They jumped through it, into another hallway, and finally down a corner.

"What...should we do now?!" yelled Gohei, out of breath.

Footsteps persisted behind them and it seemed that no matter how much they ran, the soldiers kept a quick pace behind them.

"Okay, I sense a large power up ahead!" said Axel. "It may not be the best idea, but I say we head straight for it!"

Kain chimed, "I don't care what we do as long as we do it fast! I ain't trying to be filled full of holes!"

It was decided. The source of Ki Axel had picked up was certainly nearby, though they didn't see who or where it could have been coming from. As they dashed even faster, they hit another section of the round ship and suddenly, a trap door activated beneath their feet. Before they knew what hit them, they were sliding down a steep incline, each of them screaming in a mix of surprise and terror. Gohei clasped his hand across his mouth in an effort to keep the rumbling in his stomach at bay.

They soon hit would they thought was the end and fell into an entirely new room. It was large and as they stroked their aching bottoms, they saw it was full of green plants as far as the eye could see. There were so many in fact that it was hard for them to tell if they were still in the ship or some kind of jungle. Because of the vegetation, Gohei noted that it was uncomfortably warm here.

"A...greenhouse?" said Axel, looking around. There were clear windows scattered around the area, most likely to let sunlight from the outside in. "I...did not expect this."

"Gah! Who puts a trap door in the middle of nowhere like that! We could have broken our necks!" yelled Kain.

Gohei then said, "W-Who do you think put all these plants here?"

"I am not sure. I am guessing the owner of them, but I cannot fathom why they would be on a ship like this," Axel replied.

"You think there would be someone here who like this kinda stuff?" said Kain.

"Correct!"

The voice that had spoken hadn't come from any of them. Turning, the three took heed of a small figure stepping out from the darkness, their arms crossed and a certain smirk on their mouth. It was a woman, a woman with curly, black hair that was waist-length. A few bangs fell down her face, nearly covering her stunning, black eyes and slightly pale countenance. The black, gray, and red armor she had on was a dead giveaway that she was part of the invasion force, along with the red-colored Scouter on her left eye. Her most curious characteristic however, one Gohei found himself stammering over, was the brown tail wrapped around her waist. It was like a monkey's tail. He had never seen anything like it before, at least, not on a human.

"Welcome..." the woman said with outstretched arms. "...to my magnificent garden! So, you three are the intruders everyone's going on about. Fuu, fuu, fuu. To think you would be ensnared by my trap door! Lucky me!"

Kain's eyelid jerked. "T-That was your doing?! What's the big idea?!"

"Hmm? Well, I put it there just to have some fun with the grunts! They slip down it all the time and I get a laugh out of it. I honestly didn't think it would catch you guys, but I guess everything worked out in the end!" The woman laughed haughtily and her hand was right below her mouth as she did. "Let me introduce myself! My name is Lilma. I'm one of the Four Generals...no, that's not right now, is it? I'm one of the **Three** remaining Generals leading this invasion. By the way, which one of you beat Plinto?"

Axel reluctantly raised his hand. "Er...t-that was me."

"Fuu, fuu, fuu! Thanks a lot!" said Lilma gleefully. That certainly wasn't the reaction Axel, Kain, or Gohei had been expecting, considering one of her comrades had been finished by one of the people standing before her. "I tell you, that overgrown brute really got on my nerves! Always going on with 'I see' and whatnot!"

Unsure of whether to say 'thank you' or be outraged, Axel instead grunted awkwardly. The carefree nature of this Lilma baffled Gohei. She didn't act like an enemy and her demeanor was a stark contrast to Plinto's. Why she was being so friendly with them, he didn't know. She could have been up to something, he supposed, yet he doubted it.

"Is it true that you're a...Super Saiyan?" Lilma leaned closer to Axel's vicinity and her expression was that of pure delight and curiosity. "I've never actually seen one before, so I was just curious! Oh, you must have given Plinto quite a shock!"

"A...Super Saiyan?" muttered Axel. The term was a new one certainly. Flashing in his head just then though was the bizarre transformation he had undertook back when he was facing Plinto. There was no way he could forget something like that. Was that was Lilma was referring too? "W-What is that, if you do not mind me asking."

Lilma looked generally caught off guard by the question. "H-Huh? You're a Saiyan and you don't even know what a Super Saiyan is?!" Her eyes darted toward Axel's waist, where she made another startling discover. "H-Huh?! Y-Your tail! Where's your **tail**?!" Everyone else stared at Axel too, half expecting a tail to sprout up out of nowhere. When none did, they gazed back at Lilma for some clarification. "Y-You're supposed to have a tail! All Saiyans are born with a tail like this!" She pointed to her own for reference. "I-I've never seen a Saiyan without one before! H-How long have you not had one?! Tell me!"

"Uh...you have any idea what she's talking about, Axel?" Kain inquired.

He did. His memories reminded him that in his youth, he had possessed the same type of tail Lilma did. How he was born with it and why he had it was a constant source of confusion for him and his Master. As a precaution, he had had it removed when he was a teenager, his Master fearing no good could come from such a strange thing. He had completely forgotten about it until now. He explained this to Gohei and Kain, who glanced at him as if said he'd seen a ghost.

"Okay, I'm not following," said Kain. "So, you're a 'Saiyan' or whatever and Saiyans have monkey tails? Well, that's certainly news to me!"

Gohei concurred. "Y-Yeah. I can't really imagine you with a tail, Axel."

"Well, I never would have guessed." Lilma stated. "Saiyans shouldn't be too common around these parts in the first place. We come from a part of the universe that is **very** far away from Earth. It was quite a shock when I found out there was one on a planet like this! Oh, forget about the tail then! Can you show me that Super Saiyan form right now?! I wanna see how it looks! Pretty please!"

"Er...I-I do not know how to do it," was Axel's almost quiet reply. "Not on purpose, at least. I do not know how I performed it the first time."

Now Gohei was even more confused than ever. Super Saiyan? What was this and when did Axel use it? The way Axel's features had tightened some, Gohei could tell the subject made him uncomfortable, so he opted not to ask him, even though he was burning to do so.

Lilma was heartbroken by the news. "H-Huh? Oh, fooey!" She next leered at Gohei, making him flinch some. "Y-You! A-Are you his twin brother or something?! Y-You guys look like clones! You gotta be a Saiyan too then!"

"M-Me?!" Gohei wasn't prepared to hear anything like that. He wasn't sure if he should have been shocked to hear himself called a 'Saiyan' or annoyed that yet another person seemed to think he bore a resemblance to Axel. "E-Excuse me, miss? You keep saying...Saiyan, so..."

"Oh...I guess you guys wouldn't know what one is. I've been going on and on about Saiyans and Super Saiyans without even thinking about that. Let me explain then!" said Lilma happily. Axel, Gohei, and Kain found it sort of strange how much this woman liked to talk. She hadn't yet showed any signs of being hostile either. "Saiyans are different from humans! We are **much** stronger than them and we were born specifically for battle, meaning we fight really good!"

That made sense. Since Gohei was a child, he always had an unusual amount of strength and power compared to others. His Saiyan blood, if he had any, explained that anomaly. He then realized all this would mean that he wasn't human, at least not wholly, and that he was an alien. An alien. He let that term sink his brain. All he had ever been was an anomaly, someone that didn't fit in with his peers, a person who stood out from the crowd thanks to his 'gifts.' He clenched his fists at this, somewhat happy to hear why was different, but half upset that it was true.

_So, I'm a Saiyan then. Man, Tyla's gonna flip out when she hears about this..._

"We get stronger after every near death experience too!" Lilma continued. She was wagging her index finger around now. "Hmm...what else? Oh! We also get stronger under the light of the full moon! Well, not stronger per say, but we **transform**!"

Axel asked, "Transform? I am not following."

Lilma strained her face in thinking. "Meh, if you don't have a tail, I guess there's no point telling you that part. I'm getting bored anyway with all this talking anyway! You guys didn't come here for this, did you?"

The matter at hand was finally being touched upon and everyone agreed that this was for the best. Axel and the others really hadn't come her for a friendly chat, although the information Lilma had supplied the group was welcome. The fact that both Axel and Gohei were possibly Saiyans intrigued them to no end. They wanted to know more, more about the blood coursing in their veins and more about their lineage. Nevertheless, they had another task they needed to deal with first.

"Right," proclaimed Axel. "We need to stop these Invaders first."

"Right," Gohei replied. "I...er...nearly forgot about that."

Kain shook his head. "Sheesh, would you two get your heads on straight?" He let the air out of his knuckles and stretched his neck. "It's time to get down to business."

"Come on, come on! Who's gonna fight me? You all can take me on at the same time if you want!" said Lilma cheerfully. It was hard for anyone to take her seriously like this.

"So we have to fight after all. I'm not comfortable fighting women," said Axel, shifting around in a fashion that mirrored his statement.

"Not a problem." Kain walked up to the center of the room. "I'll take her myself then. You two can just sit back."

The idea was pure madness to Gohei. Though she had been non threatening earlier, he had sensed Lilma's Ki the moment she appeared and knew she was strong, **very** strong. He presumed her to be even stronger than Plinto. Kain was confident, but Gohei wasn't sure that would be enough to get him a win here.

"You sure about this, Kain?" he had to ask.

"I got this..." answered Kain, shrugging off the warning.

Lilma smiled. "That's the spirit! I wanted to fight that Super Saiyan guy over there, but I guess I can warm up on you first! Try not to die on me too quick though, okay?"

Axel and Gohei stood a good distance away from Lilma and Kain so not to get in the way of the battle that was about to get underway. Kain relaxed his body into a stance, one that mirrored Axel's when he went up against Plinto. Lilma did the same, though hers was more loose, full of holes in Axel's opinion. How she was going to defend herself like that was beyond him.

"I'm gonna enjoy making your Invaders pay for what you've done!" Kain yelled.

He made the opening move, flying straight ahead toward Lilma with reckless abandon. However, just as he was about to attack, Lilma held her hand up in a 'Stop Right There!' sort of manner. He did so with a dumbfounded look.

"I forgot to scan you on my Scouter! Silly me!" she stated while giggling. Kain dropped onto his head. She activated her Scouter and took a quick reading. "Five thousand. Okay, I can handle that!"

"You should get that device fixed if you think that measly number is an accurate measure of my strength!" Kain snapped back. To show her what he meant, he began to power up. His muscles flexed and a white shroud of Ki grew around him. Gohei almost tripped because the area was trembling at Kain's strength. "What's that stupid thing say now?!"

The numbers on her Scouter were going up so fast, they were making Lilma dizzy. It was clear it would be of no use, as Kain could somehow increase his battle power at will. She crushed it between her fingertips and tossed it away angrily.

"Okay, fine! Whatever! Let's just do this!" she barked.

Lilma and Kain charged wildly toward one another, but they vanished into thin air before anything happened. Gohei searched around for them and Axel informed him to locate their Ki if he wanted to keep up. After doing so, he glanced upward to see the two trading blows at high speeds. Neither could get an inch on the other, countering and parrying one another blow for blow. They clashed their fists together and then Kain fired off a point blank blast of Ki aimed for Lilma's face. She shrieked and ducked it in time prior to landing a head butt square on Kain's nose. He sputtered back, but snarled and threw a right hook. Lilma copied him and the two nailed one another across the chin at the same time. This was enough to send them flying across the greenhouse, near opposite walls. Stopping themselves from crashing, they bounced back and disappeared like earlier.

"Ugh! I wish they would stop with the ghost things!" cried Gohei, his hands on his head in annoyance. "I seriously can't even see what they're doing half the time!"

"I told you. Sense their energy and you can follow them effortlessly," retorted Axel.

It sure sounded easy when Axel said it. Gohei did as told anyway though and managed to get Kain and Lilma in his sights again after trying a bit harder focus all his senses on them and them alone. Kain had Lilma on the run, as he tossed a series of spin kicks her way. She blocked with her forearms, yet the last one was too much for her. With her guard broken, Kain attempted to take advantage of the situation, only to hit nothing but the air when he went to strike. Lilma's voice then cried, "Up here!" His eyes popped out of his head and he barely avoided a firm kick. Instead of his bones, Lilma broke the ground, creating a fissure large enough that Gohei was inches from falling in even though he was nowhere near the fighting.

"W-W-Whoa!" he yelled, peering down into the crevice. "T-That was close!"

Close indeed. Kain was breathing a sigh of relief himself after dodging something like that. Lilma floated back up to him and crossed her arms.

"You're pretty good," she stated, feeling the urge to smirk at her comment.

"Heh, you're not bad yourself, doll face!" Kain's arms stretched up to his face and it was clear to all watching on that he was up to something. "Guess I'll have to bust out a new technique! Watch closely!"

Everyone did and were marveled when Kain produced four perfect duplicates of himself behind flashes of golden light. Two stood on each side of him and the five of them together grinned at Lilma, who's jaw had nearly hit the floor.

"H-Huh?! D-Don't tell me you have twins?!" she exclaimed.

"Ryukage!" Kain shouted. "I knew you'd like this one! I've got you now, lady!"

END


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Gohei hadn't seen any of this coming. He was now staring at a legion of Kains, each one of them staring at an equally stunned Lilma and beaming. Perhaps he had underestimated his new mentor's strength a little. Watching him fight a weakling like Elastro and listening to him run his mouth on a constant basis had mislead him clearly. In his opinion, Kain played the part of a fool well. This was, however, Gohei's mistake, as he was getting a first hand look at how strong Kain really was. His jaw was agape, his body tensed, and his expression lit up with excitement. For the first time, he actually wanted to cheer Kain on.

"T-That's amazing!" he cried. "B-But how did he do that?!"

Lilma wanted to know as well. "H-Huh?! No way! Is this some kind of trick?!"

"No tricks, no mirrors, nothing like that! It's all skill!" answered Kain. "You don't need to know the finer details anyway, doll face! All you need to know is that you're going down!"

The army of Kains gave Lilma no time to think, as they headed for her on all conceivable sides and let loose a flurry of punches and kicks. Although she managed to block almost all the strikes, it was clear to Gohei watching down below that she was having great difficulty doing so. Another blow whisked past her face and a cut appeared on the spot. The Kains wouldn't let up and Gohei could hardly keep up with their movements with his naked eye alone.

"That technique is really cool!" he exclaimed.

Axel nodded. "It is called the 'Ryukage,' a Ryu Jin'ei technique."

"Oh, so he makes those clones with his energy?"

"Correct," said Axel, going back to the action above.

"Oh, and here I thought he might have had a whole bunch of twins or something..."

Kain and his army had backed Lilma into a wall and she could do nothing as they pounded her face in, pounded her sides, and pounded every other part of her they could. She held her forearms to shield herself, finally managing to knock her attacks away with a massive wave of exploding energy. The damage had been done though. Blood trickled down cuts and bruises on her once pretty face and she breathed wearily, Kain having broken a rib or two during his assault.

"Grr! That really ticks me off!" she screamed. "Here! Eat this!"

She held her palms out and fired off a purple beam of Ki that all the Kains quickly recognized was large enough to kill the lot of them. The five of them split up to avoid it when it then abruptly branched off into five separate blasts. Too shocked by the turn of events, all the Kains save the real one were blown to pieces at once. The original Kain had to brace himself, while Lilma's energy wave knocked him across the greenhouse before detonating in midair. Smoke and debris from the area rained down around a quiet Axel and a panicked Gohei.

Gohei then said, "K-Kain! Ah, d-don't tell me he's dead!"

"That is not enough to do him in," replied Axel, unnerved.

Lilma lowered her arms and had to squint to see the damage she had caused. There was no doubt in her mind her opponent had been finished off by the blast. She simply needed the smoke blinding everything to clear so she could confirm. Despite her confidence, she found herself emitting a low gasp when something other than Kain's charred remains appeared up ahead. Kain was in one piece alright. Various burns covered parts of his skin and his tank top was shredded beyond recognition, but he was alive. Tearing off the torn piece of clothing, he sighed in relief and flew over to his stammering foe.

"Good one! That was a close one for sure!" he said. His left eye was drooping some from the damage he had received. "You owe me a new shirt though, lady!"

Lilma pointed like a madwoman at what she thought should have been a ghost. "Y-You **can't** be human! There's no way you should have survived that!"

"Guess what, doll face? I'm no mere human!" It was time for him to end this. Kain channeled what was left of his energy for one more technique. Orange Ki radiated around him just then and she shouted, "Ryunaru!"

An intense gust of air spawned from this event and it took everything in Lilma's power to stop herself from being blow away by it. She was about to ask what was happening when Kain streaked up to her far quicker than her eyes could keep up and slammed his knuckles into face. Time seemed to slow, as her expression wracked with anguish and confusion. He followed this up with a kick that sent her skyward ahead of zipping in front of her for the kill. She managed to stop her uncontrollable ascent, next attempting to turn the tables with another massive purple Ki blast. Kain simply moved around it and he slammed his shoulder into her side. Lilma's body bent ungainly and the strike sent her careening into another wall. Her body hit it with force, as she felt as if every part of her had been broken. Kain used high speed movement to appear in front of her and tossed a straight punch. Miraculously, she managed to catch it in time. Another shock wave rocked the greenhouse from the impact. In spite of her best efforts, Kain's newfound strength was overcoming her own, he pushing her further and further against the stone-like wall.

"I-I underestimated you it seems!" she struggled to say.

"You and the rest of these Invaders!" replied Kain. Orange energy shrouded his left arm just then, while he shouted, "Cho Ryu Upper!"

Lilma's jaw was rocked by an aura coated uppercut that did everything but decapitate her. Her body flipped around the air before violently crashing onto the floor below, spawning a gaping hole on the spot. Gohei glanced at her smoking body and then at Kain, who descended a few feet away from her. The fight had been finished in the blink of an eye, Gohei glad he hadn't missed a second of it. It had been one of the greatest things he had ever seen, other than Axel's fight with Plinto, and he could feel the adrenaline pumping within his veins. He had the abrupt sensation of wanting to fight himself now, though he didn't know why.

"And that..." started Kain, rubbing his hands against one another. "...is how you take care of business, gentlemen!"

"Haha! Kain, that was great!" proclaimed Gohei. He ran up to Kain and nearly knocked him over in excitement. "You...you wiped the floor with her! I didn't know you were so strong!"

"Heh. I told you kid. It was no problem!" Kain flashed a thumbs up.

"D-Do you think you could teach me some of those moves?!"

Kain patted Gohei atop the head. "Haha! Maybe some day, kid, when you grow big and strong! Of course, there's no way you'd be able to do it as stylish as me!"

Their merry shouts and hollers were interrupted when Lilma managed to climb her way out of the depression both Kain and Gohei assumed to be her resting place. Her armor was cracked and chipped and blood was falling profusely from her bruised face. Standing looked to be a problem for her because she nearly collapsed multiple times. Kain figured he had at least broken her jaw with that last one, but he was proven wrong when she held one of her arms up and began to speak.

"I-I'm not finish...yet...!" she panted. "Y-You haven't beat me!"

She fired off another energy wave, yet Kain held his ground. Taking the blast within the palm of his hand, Kain fired off an even bigger one, canceling Lilma's out and destroying a large portion of the greenhouse with his own. It was then that Lilma gasped at the sight of her plants in the background either being destroyed outright or simply burning from the heat of the blast.

"Y-You...! You're really pissing me off now!" Her eyes then teared up upon turning to her badly damaged vegetation. "M-My babies! M-Mama will fix you up! Don't worry!" She started to shake uncontrollably at Kain, who only shrugged and chuckled in return, and then suddenly blew a hole in the roof of the room. Floating toward it, she barked, "Outside! Now!"

"Outside? You sure, lady? You look like you could..."

"I SAID OUTSIDE!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice making Kain jump in fright.

"...O-Okay! Fine! Whatever! Not my problem if you want another beat down."

Kain complied with the 'request' and soon disappeared behind her. That left Axel and Gohei and the two of them watched on as the fight had been taken to another location out of the blue.

"Huh, why do you think she wanted to move the fight?" Gohei asked.

"I am not sure, but it has me worried. Come, Gohei. We had better follow."

* * *

Kain, stretching his arms, quietly watched Lilma mutter to herself while she fumed with anger. He questioned if she was still upset about what he had done to her plants, though he couldn't hear what she was saying, nor did he honestly care in the first place. He spat out some blood that had accumulated his in mouth, just as Lilma managed to calm herself down enough to force a smile.

"You're going to pay for messing with my babies, you ingrate!" she said in a sort of pleasant, yet clearly irritated intonation.

Kain wasn't convinced. "You seem to have forgotten who was tearing your ass apart back inside the ship, lady. What, did you bring me out her so your buddies could gang up on me?"

"Tch! As if I'd need to resort to calling the grunts! Fuu, fuu, fuu! No, I'm going to show you something very nice!" Lilma pointed up at the full moon hanging above them, yet Kain saw nothing peculiar about it. "Do you remember when I told you and your friends about Saiyans transforming under the light of the full moon? It just so happens that the Moon here on Earth gives off enough light for it to work!" Her eyes shifted up to the object in question, her body jerking some. "Now then, let me show you **exactly** what I'm talking about!"

Whatever was happening made Kain get back a little instinctively. He couldn't believe what he was seeing right now, as huge fangs sprouted out of Lilma's mouth, along with brown fur sprouting up all over her skin. Her eyes turned red, her face extended into a kind of snout, and her body grew nearly seventy feet tall. Even her armor stretched along with her. As her shadow loomed above him, Kain realized he was now gazing in fright at a gigantic ape. Axel and Gohei had shown up right before all this and were just as aghast at the sight. How was this even possible? Gohei would have never dreamed someone as pretty as Lilma could turn into such a monster.

"A-A monkey?! A GIANT MONKEY?!" Kain's anxiety was understandable. "Gah! I see now! That's why she wanted to go outside and fight! Shit, I'm so stupid!"

Gohei could hardly talk. The words he wanted to say were there. They simply wouldn't come out of his mouth. He glanced at Axel's face, which was even more unsettled than Kain's and Gohei's combined. Something about Lilma's new form had a powerful effect on him.

He mumbled, "I-I see now! It all makes sense!"

"Huh? Axel, what are you talking about?!" said Gohei.

"M-My Master told me never to look at the full moon because great apes came out during that time! I...I heeded his words, but never really took them seriously! I see now, why he did not want me gazing into the night sky!"

Gohei nodded at this. "Y-Yeah. I-I don't blame him..."

"This is the true form of a Saiyan, a Great Ape!" said the giant ape in a much deeper voice that Lilma's. Neither Gohei or Kain could believe it actually spoke. "Like this, my powers have been multiplied ten times over! I'm going to enjoy crushing you, you ingrate! It's all over for you now!"

Kain scattered out of the way when Lilma's big hand attempted to snatch him out of the sky. His mind was in panic and he couldn't think of what to do or how to fight such a massive beast. He never imagined a person, even a Saiyan, could pull off a stunt like this. Gritting his teeth, he avoided yet another swat of the ape's hand, seeing that while she might have been stronger, Lilma seemed to be slower thanks to her mammoth frame. Perhaps he could use this to his advantage, he thought to himself.

"Sit still, you pest!" she yelled while trying to smash him between her fingers.

"Like hell! Chew on this!" Kain shouted back. A flurry of energy blasts shot for the palm of his hand, as he deduced he would have to keep his distance from her. So long as he did that, she wouldn't be able to lay a finger on him.

"Nice try!" The blasts did little, not even tickling Lilma. "Try this!"

Kain's strategy fell to pieces almost immediately. Rather than keep up her physical offense, Lilma launched a truly gigantic beam of purple energy from her mouth. Kain was enveloped by it and the blast vaporized a large portion of the forest looming behind them. Gohei called out Kain's name frantically, presuming his fate had been the same as the smoldering fissure up ahead. This was not the case. Somehow, Axel had managed to whisk Kain out of harm's way in the nick of time. The two flew behind Lilma, with Kain slung over Axel's shoulder.

Unscathed, Kain said, "T-Thanks. You really bailed me out there."

"Do not mention it. We need to attack her together though, Kain," Axel informed him.

"Eh? I thought I said I would handle it. You shouldn't..."

"I do not think it would be wise to go toe to toe with her...in this form. We stand a much better chance fighting her together, do you not think?"

Kain laughed a little at their predicament. "Sheesh, how did things turn out like this? Alright! I gotcha! Look, I noticed she's pretty damn slow now, so we should be able to get the job done if we do this right! You flank her from one side and I'll go the other way! She shouldn't be able get both of us, so whoever she doesn't go for will try to attack her from her blind spot! She might be big and strong now, but if we hit her hard enough, she should go down for the count eventually."

It was a sound plan in Axel's opinion and the two made haste to get it done, seeing as Lilma was currently heading their way. They flew off at high speeds and per their idea, they each took a different side of her, waiting for their chance to strike. It never came, however. They had evidently made an error in judging Lilma's maneuverability and she struck them both down with her first behind some high speed movement toward the ground. Their bodies sailed like shooting stars in Gohei's eyes and while he leered at Lilma celebrating, he was dumbfounded by her awesome speed.

_T-That's not possible! She should __**definitely**__ be slower now, __but...it's almost like she's __**faster**__ instead!__ Gah! What are we supposed to do now then?!_

Axel, having crashed through a number of trees, managed to get to his feet, with his head ringing like a bell thanks to that shot he received. Luckily, he wasn't too banged up. Saying the same for Kain, on the other hand, was a different story. He was sprawled out not too far away from him, appearing limp and unconscious. Axel rushed toward him and tried to wake him, but he refused to stir. Just then, Lilma crashed down into the area, a short earthquake going off in her presence. Axel braced himself while noting that he couldn't think of a way to stop her.

"If I could only become a Super Saiyan again, maybe..." he started.

"So, you're still in one piece, Mister Super Saiyan!" said Lilma. She tried slamming her palm down on him, but he grabbed Kain and hopped away from the spot he resided. He then launched a one handed Ryuho to try and slow her down to no avail. "Nope, you're gonna have to try **a lot** harder than that! Fuu, fuu, fuu!"

She tossed another punch and although Axel was able to dodge this one too, the force form it knocked he and Kain down. All the rolling and crashing was enough to arouse Kain from his short nap. He screamed in horror once he saw that Lilma was not only still around, but currently stampeding toward he and Axel.

"W-Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the hell?!" he cried, scooting away.

"Kain, this way!" shouted Axel.

The two jumped forward just in time, as another beam of Ki turned the surrounding area into a wasteland. With no idea on how to stop Lilma's rampage and with the two of them out of breath, they hid behind the few remaining trees left in this forest to formulate a plan of attack.

"T-There will not be a planet left to save if she keeps up at this!" said Axel.

"Ha...ha...a-anything ticking in that head of yours, Axel?" wheezed Kain.

"I-I think I have come up with something, but you may think me foolish for it."

Kain peeked his head behind a branch. "Hey man, I'm all ears."

"...O-Okay. We...we need to destroy the Moon."

"Destroy the Moon? Okay, no..." Kain choked on his spit at what he was hearing, the words not getting through to him at first. "D-DESTROY THE MOON?!"

"Y-Yes...that is the only thing I can think of..." Axel murmured, looking away.

"Do you know how **crazy** that sounds?! Do you know the repercussions of doing something like that?! I may not be an astronomy expert, but I'd assume we sorta of **need** the Moon! Besides, how in the hell are we supposed to blow it up?! No, **why** in the hell would we want to blow it up to begin with?!"

"I am not positive, but I think I could blow it up with a big enough blast. I know the idea sounds...unbelievable, but it really is the only thing I can think of. Look, we know she used the Moon to transform, so if we get rid of it, it should reverse the effects. At least, I believe so. I am not positive..."

"Oh my God, I can't believe I'm having this discussion with you." Kain face palmed and sighed. "But it's not like we have any time to decide on something else! What do I do?!"

Axel paused and then said, "I just need you to distract her for a bit. I hate to ask you to do so, but I need time to gather enough energy to destroy the Moon."

The idea was utterly repugnant to Kain and his face showed it. However, with Lilma looking for them and drawing ever closer, he knew he had to do it. Nodding, he told Axel to hurry up, as he flew out in the open, immediately attracting the Great Ape's attention.

"There you are!" she bellowed. "I'm going to beat you up, then make you help me replace every one of my precious babies that you burnt to a crisp!"

"Like hell! As if I'd waste my time with crap like that!"

Kain response sent Lilma over the deep end. She swatted at him like one would swat at a fly, but he managed to get out of the way each time. He beamed at her and gestured his hands outward for her to get him. He then flew in circles around her to draw her attention away from Axel. Another mouth blast raced above his head, singeing his hair some. He paid this no mind and unloaded a shower of energy blasts down up Lilma, who held her massive arms up to block them. Kain kept up the assault for as long as he could before tiring and waiting to see if it had finished her off. A hand lurched out from the smoke all of a sudden, grabbing onto him and effectively answering his question.

"G-Gotcha!" Lilma asserted triumphantly.

"D-Damn it!" No matter how much Kain tried to break free, the ape's palms kept him firmly in place. "H-Hey, you wouldn't mind...er...letting me go, would ya?"

"No way! After all that trouble you gave me?!"

"Come on! I didn't even do anything to you!"

Lilma's eyes furrowed. "You destroyed my plants, ruined my beautiful face, and made me resort to using this ugly Great Ape form to beat you! I think you've done a lot of things to tick me off tonight!"

Kain knew he was quite guilty of doing these things. "Uh...well, you don't look **that** bad as a er...giant...monkey."

"Really?! Because someone once said I looked fat like this..."

"Really!" Kain assured her. "I mean, your breath kinda stinks now but..."

"W-What?!"

Kain quickly covered his mouth, but it was too late. Totally incensed, Lilma began to squeeze Kain between her hands and he shouted out loud enough to pierce the night. His bones snapped one by one and the pain he was feeling was enough to make him want to pass out. He squirmed around to get free, but Lilma cackled and simply continued to break him in half. If there was one thing she couldn't take lightly, it was someone insulting her.

"You shouldn't have opened your big mouth, ingrate!" she said.

She was about to snap his neck when a Ki blast hit her dead center in her left eye. She hollered out, dropping Kain in the process, and stumbled around, holding the afflicted area. Unable to move on the ground, Kain groaned and groggily opened his eyelids to see Gohei standing over him.

"K-Kain..." said Gohei, seeing how mangled his body was. "A-Are you..."

"Please...don't ask that...question." Speaking was too painful for Kain at the moment, so he decided to keep his sentences short and sweet. "Get...out of here. Giant...monkey."

"I-I know...but..." Gohei bit his lip. "I know I shouldn't have followed, but...!"

Kain forced a chuckle. "I would...normally agree, but I would...have been as good as dead if you didn't. Still, you need to run...while you can."

"I can't just leave you here like this! Maybe we can run or something! Can't you do that technique from earlier?!"

"T-The Taiyoken? Ha, as...if. I can't even move my a-arms."

"Agh! You've gotta be kidding me! Okay, maybe we can..." Gohei stopped and searched around for someone unseen. "Wait, where's Axel?"

Lilma appeared again before Kain could explain he and Axel's plan. Her eye was bleeding and she had to close it for the burning sensation she was feeling to lessen. Her remaining one leered down to Gohei, who began to tremble in fright. He hadn't been this close to Lilma, so her size was finally taking shape within his psyche. He wanted to run so badly, yet with Kain in the shape he was in, he would just die in his place. Gohei shot in front of him, holding out his arms to form a wall with his own body. There wasn't much he could do to fight off an individual like Lilma. In spite of this, he felt he could at least protect Kain for the time being until he came up with something.

"Agh! That really hurt, kid!" Lilma bellowed, as bore each of her fangs. "That's it! I was trying to be nice, but..."

"Trying to be nice?! You turned into a giant monkey and have been trying to kill us for the last fifteen minutes!" yelled Gohei.'

Lilma ignored this. "...but you've all pushed me too far! Prepare to die!"

"It's ready!"

Axel spoke suddenly, his intonation drawing everyone to him. In his hands was a large, round ball of orange Ki that was ready to go. He peered up at the Moon and then back at the blast, thinking that he had just enough to get the job done without causing too much harm to anything else. The idea of destroying such a beautiful celestial body, one he had always gazed up at with his Master long ago, was heartbreaking. His resolve toughened and he recalled that he didn't have much choice in the matter. He spread his legs, braced himself, and fired off the Ryuho Those present watched it streak across the night sky toward its target with bated breath, while time itself seemed to slow.

"H-Huh?! Oh, I see what you're trying to do now!"

The unthinkable then happened. Lilma shot in front of the blast and deflected it elsewhere without warning. Axel and Kain's faces dropped to the floor, as orange light illuminated the area momentarily, Axel's Ryuho destroying a deserted locale. That was their last chance, they both said under their breath. Lilma had seen what they were up to and had acted accordingly. Having expended most of his energy creating that one, Axel knew there was no way he could do it again. He simply didn't have enough time. His fist slammed into the dirt below him in disappointment.

"Hmph! Trying to destroy that moon, were you?" Lilma said, sneering. "Haha! You think you're the first person that's tried that one on me?! Well, it **has** worked a couple of times in the past, but don't think I'd be stupid enough to let it happen here!"

"Shit!" shouted Kain, struggling to sit up. "Just our luck she would know!"

Gohei, meanwhile, had no idea what was going on. "Um...d-did I miss something?"

"Hmm...I better do something about you guys before you try that again!" Lilma aimed her fingertip at Gohei and Kain's direction. With her size and strength, crushing them with it would be a mundane affair. Gohei naturally got on guard, but had no idea how he was supposed to repel an attack of such magnitude. "Sorry, but this is game over!"

Lilma stopped in her tracks unexpectedly, her fingertips stopping mere inches away from her quarry. It was as if something had paralyzed her on the spot and Axel, Kain, and Gohei couldn't help but notice what that something was. A spiral sort of beam, a kind of attack Gohei had never seen before, had sliced Lilma's giant tail clean down the middle like a knife carving through butter. The tail wriggled around on the ground for a couple of seconds, then it came to a complete halt, mirroring its owner. After that, Lilma started to wobble around as if she were off balance, nearly steping on Gohei and Kain a dozen times.

"A-Ah! M-My tail! No, my precious tail!" said Lilma in shock. "How could...!"

Her body shrank gradually until she was her regular size again. The brown fur that had shrouded her body disappeared too, along with her vicious fangs. Before she knew it, she was back to normal, panting heavily while on her knees. Her tail had reduced in size too, though it would do her no good now that they were separated from one another.

"Uh...what?" was Gohei's impassive remark. "How did she...?"

"I-I see!" Axel yelled, moving closer. "I-If you remove her tail, it has the same effect as if we would have destroyed the Moon! No wonder my Master insisted I have my own tail removed! That must have been why he allowed me to gaze up at the Moon afterward."

"Y-Yeah, sure. Whatever." chuckled Kain. "Now then, who in the hell just did that?"

A figure stepped out in the open at Kain's inquiry, one Gohei instantly recognizes as Piccolo, the Namekian who had trained him for a short time. He was dressed in his usual turban, white cape, purple dogi, and brown shoes and with his fingertips smoking, it didn't take a rocket scientist to realize he had been the one that had shot that strange looking beam.

"M-Mr. Piccolo!" Gohei ran up to him with wide, bright eyes.

"Hmph. I didn't think you would need my help, Gohei," said Piccolo in a gruff voice. "Still, I guess I showed up in time."

"W-What are you doing here?"

"I sensed a large energy source in this area. I admit though, I was surprised to see a Great Ape," replied Piccolo. The way he spoke, it almost made Gohei believe this wasn't the first time he had encountered one. "You alright?"

"Y-Yeah, thanks to you! That was pretty cool though, Mr. Piccolo! What was..."

"Gohei...who...is this?" asked Axel impatiently. "He is an ally, correct?"

"Yeah! This is Mr. Piccolo! He's the guy who trained me to fight, well...just a little."

"I...see," Axel replied. He gave Piccolo a distrustful leer, but relaxed his features at the sight of Gohei glaring at him because of it.

"Y-Yeah, n-nice to meet you, green guy. I would shake your hand...b-but I'm having a little trouble sitting up right now," said Kain, limply gesturing his arm in the air to wave.

Lilma made her way to her feet and growled. "O-Of all the rotten...!" The mere sight of Piccolo made the lines on her face stretch in ways Gohei didn't know were possible. "Gah! A **Namekian**! I don't know how you knew to remove my tail, but you're not gonna get away with that! Do you know how long it'll take for it to grow back?! Ages!"

Piccolo grunted. If he was sorry for his actions, he certainly wasn't showing it, something that upset Lilma to no end. She put up her dukes again, not caring that she was outnumbered and not caring that she had exhausted almost all her Ki fighting as a Great Ape.

"Hmph. Do your worst," Piccolo readied to remove his clothing, making Gohei step back and gasp. This would be the first time he would see his mentor fight seriously.

* * *

"While I would hate to interrupt this little party of yours, I think I've seen enough!"

Gohei and the others sure were popular tonight. Yet another group had shown up, this one a little less friendly that Piccolo. A group of armored soldiers were being led by someone dressed just like them, only the one leading them was a Namekian that bore an uncanny resemblance to Piccolo. Then again, Gohei remembered that most, if not all Namekians looked identical. If Piccolo weren't here in fact, he might have mistook this new person for him. The one thing that did differentiate the two was the cross-shaped scar on the middle of his face and the blue scouter sitting on his right eye.

"Tch! Soyl! Get out of here! I was just getting to the good part!" Lilma snapped at the Namek named Soyl. "Unless you want me to pound your face in after I'm done with theirs!"

Soyl smirked, waving his finger. "Now, now, now, Lilma. You shouldn't talk to me in such a vile manner. You're barely alive as it is. Besides, I came all the way out here to help you! You looked to be having a rough time of it with these...weaklings."

His sarcasm echoed about and Lilma could hardly stand to look at him. "I-I don't need your help! Besides, like you would ever willingly come out here to help **me**!"

"Heh, I guess I'm caught. Still, if you had to take that hideous Saiyan form of yours to fight this lot, you could have at least won. Oh well. You are just a Saiyan after all. I shouldn't have expected any better."

"I swear, Soyl, if you keep talking, I will rip those antenna right off your forehead!"

"Really now? How interesting. Please, do try, if you can that is."

Gohei was a tad bit baffled by this conversation. He had assumed Lilma and Soyl to be allies, yet they were going at one another as if they were mortal enemies. It seemed Soyl had enough of 'chatting' with Lilma, as he faced Axel and company, inspecting each of them like they were something you could buy on a store shelf.

"As stated, I am Soyl. I am one of the Three Generals leading this operation here on Earth," he said. "We've been looking for you lot for awhile now after what you did to Plinto. Your stupidity is humorous, however. To think you would come to us instead." He then noticed Piccolo, who in return furrowed his eyelids. "Another Namekian, and one who isn't apart of our army? You don't see too many of us in these parts. What do you say? You might as well join us since you're here. How about it?"

Piccolo couldn't contain his laughter. "Are you kidding? No, I think I'll stay put where I am. Still, I'm having a hard time believing a Namekian would stupid enough to join up with Icer, yet here's one right in front of me. I guess pride accounts for nothing these days..."

"W-Why you...!" The comment ticked of Soyl for a moment. He managed to regain his calm soon after. "Hmph. You really are a fool. Pride is meaningless if you have power! I simply aligned myself with powerful allies, like Lord Icer, who'll eventually control everything in the universe in a matter of time anyway! Certainly, I can't be a foolish as someone who would go against someone like Icer!"

"Cowardice is not strength," said Piccolo in return. "You're not aligned with Icer for power, you're with him because you're afraid to die by his hand. I've seen it all before. He's not even remotely the first tyrant I've had to deal with. Enough talking though. If we're going to fight, then let's get it over with."

Gohei found something odd. It appeared that Piccolo actually knew who Icer was, something the rest of them certainly couldn't claim.

"A fool indeed!" Soyl declared. "I'm done wasting my breath on you! I will destroy you and the rest of your idiotic companions with my own two hands! Kidnel wanted to see you, but I don't believe there will be any need for that!"

Clenching his fist, Soyl began to power up with all of his might. A white aura enveloped him and in return, the area shook in fear after only a couple of seconds. Gohei watched on, speculating why there had to be so many strong guys in this invasion force. They had had their hands full with Lilma this whole time and now another one of them had stepped into the fray. Axel decided he had enough chaos for one day, quickly suggesting that they flee the area.

"H-Huh? W-Why?" asked Kain, as he was propped over Axel's shoulder. "I know I'm not looking to hot, but you guys can still...!"

"No," interrupted Axel. "We cannot fight these people right now."

Piccolo added, "...I see. Fine. We'll retreat then."

"W-What?!" Gohei wasn't sure why he had said that. He wanted to leave just as much as Axel did, yet he also wanted to stay, feeling they had been insulted enough by these people. "Er...I-I mean, how are we supposed to get away?"

"You're not going to!"

Soyl had heard their discussion and he suddenly appeared in front of the group to stop them. He stretched his arm out suddenly in a trembling Gohei's direction. Piccolo though managed to deflect it before throwing a yellow blast back. Soyl dodged it, but as he did, Axel kicked him, sending him crashing into his subordinates before hitting the ship itself.

"Now!" said Axel, as he leaped into the air and placed his fingertips on his forehead. "TAIYOKEN!"

A blinding flash of light effectively disoriented Lilma and the rest of the Invaders, enough so that Axel, Gohei, Kain, and Piccolo took it as their cue to leave. Amidst blaster fire and frantic screams from Lilma, they managed to slip away into the night.

"O-oo-ow! You useless ingrates!" shouted Lilma, hitting one of the soldiers on the head after her vision had been restored. "I can't believe you let them get away! Hmph! I'm going back inside the ship to check on my babies! I don't care what you idiots do out here!"

Even in her condition, no one dared mess when her when she got into one of her trademark tantrums and they watched her hobble her way back inside the round ship. She limped right past Soyl, who had managed to pick himself up. His men, still dazzled from Axel's Taiyoken, rushed over to assist him, but he pushed them away and wiped a trail of purple blood away from his mouth.

"Dammit! Pretty clever trick to get away, but I'll have to pay those fools back tenfold for their insolence when I find them! Men, I want you to...!" Soyl stopped when his Scouter picked up on a sudden transmission from one of his allies. After hearing it, he found himself bursting out in a mad cackle. "Oh, this is **too** rich! Those fools will have quite the surprise waiting for them when they get back to their lair!"

Axel, Gohei, Piccolo, and Kain, the latter being carried by Axel, were almost back to Master Daigu's bunker. Piccolo suggested they walk the rest of the way, since it would make the group harder to track on the Invader's Scouters. None of them said anything for the longest time while they trekked about the wreckage of East City. This kind of silence was something Gohei always hated. Nonetheless, he didn't dare say anything in fear of getting yelled at.

"That...was close," said Axel, breaking the hush on Gohei's behalf.

"You think?" Kain was still groaning about his broken bones. "I just hope those guys aren't following us. Needless to say, I'm not in the mood for anymore fighting tonight."

"I never though I would hear that out of you," chimed Gohei.

"Hey, even I know my limits. Still, that wasn't the 'triumphant victory' I had in mind when we decided to attack these guys. Master Daigu was right. If that had kept up, we really would have died back there."

It grew quiet again. No one could deny that Kain had a point. It was as if reality had wrote a check to Gohei and the others, reminding them of how small they really were. Fortunately, no one had come back from this ordeal dead and it looked as if they weren't being trailed after all. All in all, things certainly could have been worse.

"Hmm?" Gohei saw Piccolo glance at the three walking behind him. He hadn't said so much as a word since they had escaped the Invaders, though Gohei pondered if there was something on his mind. "M-Mr. Piccolo, I've been meaning to ask you. You...um..."

"What is it?"

"Er...n-never mind." Gohei had lost the nerve to ask him anything.

"Now that I think of it, we still have not thanked you for your help, Piccolo," said Axel. "Without your assistance, we would been have defeated by that monster."

"Hmph. It was nothing. However, I still have some issues with you three doing what you did." Piccolo didn't look at Axel or any of the other people he was referring to when he spoke. His voice remained unwavering, strict, but not hostile. "You should have know better than to just attack the Invaders head on like that. You're lucky you didn't get yourselves killed."

"Hey, I didn't ask for a lecture, buddy!" yelled Kain. "I don't regret what I did and I'd do it again if I had the chance!"

Piccolo chose not to reply to Kain;s emotional declaration. As such, it was difficult to tell whether it had upset him or not. Gohei didn't think it did, but since Piccolo's expression always seemed to be the same, he wasn't sure. There was no time for the group to discuss it anyway because the spot where Master Daigu's bunker was laid before them. Gohei and Kain immediately saw that something wasn't quite right however. A hole had been created where the hidden entrance should have been, revealing the staircase that led below for all to see. Upon further inspection, the group took heed of the blaster marks around the uneven orifice. Icer's troops had been there.

"That's...not good," Gohei muttered.

"You damn right it ain't!" Kain replied. "Come on! Let's go check on the others!"

Piccolo then stated, "I'll wait up here until you finish your business. If there were soldiers here at one point, they might still be in the area. I'll keep watch."

The three thanked Piccolo and rushed down the stairs. The thick metal door that sealed off the shelter had been blown away as well. Axel leaped in first, followed by Gohei carrying Kain. What the three saw next nearly snapped their hearts in two instantly.

Sprawled out about the bunker were the bodies of Master Daigu's pupils, all of them bearing a spot where a laser had claimed their lives somewhere on their corpses. Though Gohei checked to be sure, they soon found out there were no survivors. The entire hideout had been trashed with containers and shelves knocked to the ground. A struggle looked to have taken place, yet it was easy to see who had won out in the end. Gohei fell to his knees, Axel turned his head, while Kain began to shake uncontrollably. Unsurprisingly, Elastro was nowhere to be seen, but neither were Tyla, Master Daigu, and Sarai.

"N-No..." Gohei's voice trailed off and his eyes enlarged three times their normal size. This wasn't what he wanted to come back to. "The...the Invaders...t-they..." He had to cover his mouth with his hands so he wouldn't throw up.

"I-I don't understand! Master Daigu said they would all be safe here!" cried Kain.

Axel swallowed air. "Kain, I..."

A sound of a piece of rubble falling attracted the three to someone limping out into the open. It was Sarai, a bloodied and injured Sarai. Amidst gasps, she made her way over to the three, where she smiled at Kain in particular.

"K-Kainy...Poo. Y-You made...you made it back! I'm...so...glad..."

She was unable to stand by her own strength anymore and she collapsed right into Axel's arms. There was a hole straight through her chest and as Axel held her, he saw his hands dyed red by the blood leaking out of her frigid body. It was not a normal wound, he muttered, thinking that only a really powerful attack could have caused this.

"S-Sarai?!" Kain, despite his broken bones, hobbled over to Sarai, who again beamed in his direction. He took her hand and she clasped his tightly. "Sarai, no! Please, hang on, Sarai! We'll...we'll get you some help!"

"K-Kain? I...I..."

"P-Please don't talk, sweetie! Save your strength!"

Sarai laughed. "T-That's...just like you, K-Kain. Always worried about...o-others. Y-You never did care for...for y-your own well being. But...t-that's what I always l-liked about...you."

Bitterly, Kain asked, "W-What happened here?! Who did this to you?!"

"I-I'm sorry...K-Kain. I-I shouldn't have...taken my eyes off that E-Elastro...creep..." she struggled to say, coughing every other juncture. Kain grasped her hand even harder. "S-Somehow...he managed to call...h-his friends. Before...before I knew w-what was happening, it was...too late. Those...s-soldier guys stormed the place..."

"D-Dammit! I-I didn't think he was capable of something like that!" said Gohei.

"Tch! We should have killed him when we had the chance!" added Kain.

Sarai went on. "T-They had this...other guy...w-with them. I think...he was t-their leader. I-I got beaten pretty easily." She again laughed, although this time, it made her cough almost uncontrollably. "H-He was very strong, t-the strongest person I've...I've e-ever fought. They...t-they took our Master and T-Tyla with them w-when they left. T-The man said that...h-he wouldn't harm them as long...as y-you guys showed up."

So that was it. Gohei had a feeling this might have been the case the moment Sarai appeared by herself. He balled his fist up as hard as he could to the point that he nearly broke skin. To think the Invaders would resort to something like this. It was low, it was cowardly, and most of all, it pissed him off to no end.

"Heh, b-babe. I can't see...y-your face anymore," Sarai stated weakly. "T-That's okay. Heh, I-I am sorry though. I-I should have protected everyone better, b-but..."

"N-No!" Kain cut in, tears rolling down his face. "Y-You did your best! I know you did! Sarai, just...just stay with me! I told you, we're going to get you some help! After we do that, we can rescue our Master together! You hear me?!"

"Haha, y-you're so...s-sweet." Now she was crying. "K-Kain? P-Promise me that you'll...you'll be well. Promise me you w-won't...die, o-okay? Please..."

"S-Sarai?! W-What are you...?!"

"K-Kain, I love...I love..." Her hand fell limp in his grasp mid sentence and as she slowly closed her eyes, her head slumped over.

"S-Sarai..." Kain began trembling even more violently. His fingers rubbed against Sarai's cold cheek and he waited for her to awake, shouting something like 'Surprise!' or 'Just kidding!' When neither of these were stated, his pupils shrunk. "SARAI?! SARA-AAAAAAA-AI!"

The sounds of loud, uncontrollable bawling coming from the bunker made Piccolo standing outside grunt uncomfortably.

END


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It was hard for Gohei to tell how time had passed. The sky was still dark and the moon high above him remained as bright as ever. He gazed at it quietly, wishing he had some kind of watch or clock. It had felt like ages since he and the others had discovered what had happened within the confines of Master Daigu's secret bunker. Sarai and the other students were dead, a concept he was having trouble wrapping his brain around. How could they be gone? It seemed like only minutes ago he was speaking and laughing with, yet he would never see any of them again now. Wrapping his hands on his head, he decided he no longer wanted to think about all that. He leered at the raging fire in front of him instead.

Despite Gohei's unsureness about the matter, it had only been a few hours since the tragic revelation that the Invaders had not only killed all of Master Daigu's pupils, but kidnapped Daigu and Tyla as well.

Gohei, Axel, Kain, and Piccolo sat amongst the ruins in East City around a small fire, the sole source of illumination other than the full moon. The group had plunged themselves into quiet shortly after giving Sarai and the rest of Daigu's pupils a proper burial. It was by far the most painful thing Gohei had ever been forced to experience and if he had a choice in the matter, he would make sure he never had to go through it again. The four had then unanimously decided to move as far away from Master Daigu's bunker as possible. Everyone had stated that they were doing so because the Invaders would most likely search that area first if they were still looking for them, but Gohei had a feeling they were only doing this to distance themselves from the memory of what had occurred.

"Kain, let me dress your wounds," said Axel's voice on the other side of the fire. He had bandages in his hand and he held them up for Kain to see. "You need to let me treat those injuries."

Kain scoffed at the idea. He was certain a couple of bandages would do nothing to mend his broken bones or his broken heart. Rather than responding, he merely grunted and turned away from Axel. Gohei couldn't help but sigh at this. Kain had been moody like this entire time, though Gohei could hardly blame him. Axel, frowning, sat back down and for a couple more minutes, no one dared to speak up. The stillness quickly wore on Gohei's nerves and as he watched the fire continue to dance and crackle, he told himself that he hated the situation he and his friends were in. He felt so helpless. Perhaps agreeing, Piccolo startled the others around him when he suddenly spoke.

"We can sit here moping like this all night if you all want, but I think we'd be better off coming up with a plan of action. The Invaders are probably looking for us as we speak because of that stunt you all pulled earlier. The longer we sit here, the more time you give them to find us. At the very least, we should keep moving."

"Don't you think I know that?!" yelled Kain with all the anger he could muster. He tried to sit up as he spoke, but pain wracked his broken body and he laid back down. "I don't need you telling me that and I damn well don't need a lecture!"

Piccolo did not respond. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms and everything became silent once again.

Eventually, Gohei felt brave enough to talk. "I...can't believe they're all dead..."

"I...am sorry," said Axel. He had no idea why he was apologizing, however. "If I had only known what was happening, maybe I..."

"It's fine," said Kain in a low voice, turning over on the rock he rested on.

The way in which Kain said that made Gohei and Axel flinch and they shot one another a look of concern. There was so much bitterness in his voice, something Gohei had never heard before from him, nor something he ever thought he would. Kain always appeared so cheerful, but now was different. Things in general were different, Gohei had to admit.

"Everything's my fault anyway," stated Kain. His voice carried itself a bit farther this time, but the hostility remained. "If I had just killed that Elastro guy when I had the chance, everything would be fine! I should have been more careful! I should have paid more attention! Master Daigu was right. We should never have left everyone. If...if we had stayed...if we had just stayed behind...Sarai wouldn't...Sarai wouldn't have..." Kain choked up on his own words and although Gohei couldn't see his face, he could have sworn he heard the sound of Kain sobbing again. "Gah! I'm...I'm such a **fool**!

Gohei didn't want to admit it, but Kain was absolutely right. He too had charged headfirst into danger without thinking of the consequences and now, a lot of people were dead because of it. If he at the very least had stayed behind with Tyla, Daigu, and the others, maybe he could have prevented so many lives from being taken.

"You should not beat yourself up like this," said Axel.

Kain replied, "No! Had I not been in such a rush to stop the Invaders, none of this would have ever happened!"

"But you do not **know** that, Kain! You do not know that!"

"Y-Yeah, but...but...w-who the hell am I **supposed** to blame then?!" yelled Kain, as tears ran down his face with no sign of stopping. "What the hell am I supposed to do?!"

Axel paused at the question. What **was** he supposed to do? What were any of them supposed to do? Piccolo had thrown the same question at them a few moments ago and Axel still had no answer. He was just as lost as Kain about that matter, yet he saw no sense in any of them pointing a finger at anyone other than the Invaders. None of this would have ever happened if the Invaders hadn't arrived on Earth in the first place. Sitting back down, Axel sighed and the sound of the fire illuminating everyone's features died down some.

"...I do not know, Kain," said Axel finally. "Just...do not do that to yourself."

Kain's bottom lip quivered. "Y-Yeah, you're...right. I'm sorry."

The group abruptly looked up to the heavens at the unmistakable sound of a giant ship approaching. With haste, Piccolo doused the fire, shrouding them in darkness, while a round, crimson ship passed by overhead. For a moment, Gohei conjectured if they would be seen by it, but even after coming near them, it did not slow its speed. The four braced themselves from a strong gust of wind created by the high flying vessel and soon enough, it was out of sight and heading toward the west.

"Aw man, that was close," Gohei mumbled. "I thought we would have to fight again."

"They...did not appear to be looking for us," said Axel in a surprise tone of voice.

"Tch! Those damn Invaders!" Kain's sadness had been replaced with something else: pure rage. "If only I could get up! I'd teach those fuckers what for!"

"You are in no condition to fight anyone!" retorted Axel.

"I don't care! I'm going to pay those guys back ten fold for our troubles! How would I ever be able to look Sarai in the eyes again if I didn't..."

Piccolo reignited the smoldering wood with a small wave of energy before speaking. "If you all go and try to fight them again, you will die. End of story."

"Then what the hell do you want us to do?!" Kain bellowed. He once again attempted laying up and he was successful this time. He glared at Piccolo as hard as he could and added, "You just said that if we sit around licking our wounds like this that it would just give the Invaders time to take us over and kill even more people on Earth! What, did you have a change of heart, green man, or are you just senile?! No way! I'm not going to sit around waiting to die! As soon as I'm healed, I'm going out there and kicking some Invader ass! They caught us off guard before, but I'm not falling for their shit again! You wanna stop me?! Go ahead and try! You'll have to kill me though 'cause I ain't stopping for nobody!"

Gohei agreed. "M-Mr. Piccolo, even if we're outmatched, we should still try..."

"So, what will make things different?" asked Piccolo, raising his nonexistent eyebrow. "Just because you all are a little more brave going in this time, why should things be different? Do you think you're enemies strength will have just suddenly decreased because you decide to try fighting them again? Answer me that."

Kain looked as if he really wanted to. Nevertheless, his hand lowered along with his head and Gohei's movements mirrored his. Even if they didn't want to admit it, they understood Piccolo had a point. Perhaps they were simply being foolish in thinking they would easily get their revenge on the Invaders on anger alone. They needed more than that to overcome such insurmountable odds.

"E-Even so..." Having lost in thought, Axel opened his mouth and said, "It would be even more foolish of us to sit around idly. We are the only hope this planet has of surviving all of this and I am certain you understand this as well, Piccolo. You are absolutely right in saying we are in for the fight of our lives, yet, we will act because we **must**."

The grimace that Axel, Kain, and Gohei had become accustomed to seeing reappeared on Piccolo's features. It was hard to tell if he was upset for them for ignoring his warnings or if he was just mulling everything they had said over. His frown suddenly changed itself into a smile after a couple of moments and the others gasped in spite of themselves at it.

"You all remind me of some people I used to know," he stated, ignoring their reactions. "I see I'm not going to change your minds. At the very least, I can fill you in on your enemy so that you're more prepared when you face them again. One more thing. I suggest you all wait until tomorrow, daytime preferably."

"Huh? Why daytime?" asked Gohei.

"Because..." started Piccolo and he pointed to the full moon with his green finger. "...if there are more Saiyans aboard that ship, they'll simply use the moon to their advantage and transform again. I doubt you all have forgotten what that's like."

They hadn't. The mere thought of a Giant Ape monster attacking them once more was enough to make Axel, Kain, and Gohei shutter. As far as they knew though, if there was no moon, any Saiyan aboard the Invader's ship wouldn't be able to change into one of those things and that was definitely something they could live with.

"Still, that won't solve all your problems. Some Saiyans are able to make a ball of light that works just like the moon, so they still might be able to transform, even if it's daylight," Piccolo explained. "Just cut off their tail before that happens if you can."

"You really do know a lot about Saiyans...Piccolo was it?" said Axel.

"I do. Let's just say that I used to be fully acquainted with a lot of them."

Gohei scratched his head. "Huh? There used to be more of them?"

"On Earth, yes. However, the lot of them beforehand were killed off when their planet was destroyed. A few of them winded up here though. That was a long time ago though." Piccolo spoke in a manner that suggested he wanted that particular subject to be dropped all together and Gohei didn't dare ask him more about the Saiyans he claimed to know. "Still, I doubt there are anymore Saiyans on that ship other than the one you saw. There shouldn't be too many of this in these parts. I admit though, I was a little surprised to find out that you two were Saiyans."

Piccolo gestured to Axel and Gohei, both of them tensing up some at these words. They weren't entirely sure how to take the news that they were Saiyans, even now.

Axel then said, "Still, I wonder if it would have been better to just destroy the moon."

"A decent strategy." Piccolo smiled even wider now. "Still, I promised someone awhile back that I would make sure it stays where it belongs in the sky. It's already been blown up a few too many times."

"H-Huh? The moon's been destroyed **before**?!" exclaimed Gohei.

"...It's nothing," said Piccolo. Explaining would only eat up precious time, he thought.

"Well, it won't matter until we wait until morning to strike now that I think about it," chimed Kain, as he rubbed his aching head. "With all my broken bones, I wouldn't be able to fight much anyway. Tch! I didn't even think of that!"

"Here."

The three items Piccolo had flicked at Gohei, Axel, and Kain were caught by each of them and upon further inspection, they saw that they were small, green beans. Nothing about the items stood out to them and Gohei squinted at his.

"Uh, Mr. Piccolo? I don't...really like vegetables..."

"Eat it," was Piccolo's command.

"Eat it?" Kain leered at the bean as if it were going to jump up and attack him out of the blue. "Why? You ain't trying to poison us, are you?"

"I doubt he was do such a thing," said Axel promptly. "He seems trustworthy."

"Uh...this doesn't look like it tastes that good," Gohei uttered with a look of revulsion.

A vein formed on Piccolo's forehead. "Just eat the damn things already, you idiots!"

The three of them jumped at the Namek's harsh tone and wasted no time in chewing the beans slowly. Though they had been expecting something to happen upon swallowing them, the three were confused when nothing did.

"Tasteless," said Gohei. He supposed it was better for the bean to taste like air then to taste disgusting, though he found himself disappointed all the same.

"Okay," added Kain. "Now what?"

Piccolo retorted, "Why don't you try moving around."

"Move around? I just told you that a ton of my bones are broken and...!" Despite what he was saying, Kain felt compelled to rise and as he did, he was absolutely awestruck to see that his body had been totally healed and the pain that had been plaguing him had been washed away. He punched the air a few times to confirm he could move before shouting, "W-What the hell kinda bean was that?! My injuries...they've...!"

"W-Wow! I can feel my energy coming back!" Gohei cried.

Axel stretched one of his arms with his eyes widening. "T-This is remarkable! I too feel completely restored! Piccolo, were those some kind of special beans you gave us?!"

Piccolo nodded. "It's called a Senzu. It heals all wounds and restores your energy. Those were my last three, so don't go wasting them doing something stupid."

Kain felt was tempted to kiss Piccolo right now. "A-Ahahaha! Yes! I'm back in action! Thanks a lot, green dude! My bad for thinking you were trying to kill us!"

"...It's fine. And please...just call me Piccolo."

"W-Where did you get these from?" asked Axel.

Piccolo did not answer his question and it was obvious to Gohei that he either didn't want them knowing or he didn't feel like explaining. Why Piccolo had to be mysterious like this was beyond him, but the Namekian had been this way since he had first met him. It was at this juncture Gohei realized he knew very little about Piccolo other than he liked to keep to himself and that he was a very powerful fighter. He hadn't had the nerve to ask him when he had appeared on the rooftop of the hospital in East City, or perhaps he simply hadn't thought too. Despite this, Gohei never felt unsafe or uneasy near Piccolo. In fact, he was glad that the Namekian had showed up in front of him that night.

"Ha! I can easily avenge Sarai now!" Kain threw a few more punches that Gohei could hardly follow with his eyes and he looked like a kid in a candy store.

"You're back to normal," said Gohei with a grin.

Kain blushed at these words and he prodded Gohei on the head with his fingertip. "Y-Yeah, I guess I am! You're still as talkative as ever though!"

"H-Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Good! Now that we are all one hundred percent again, we should seriously come up with a plan on rescuing Master Daigu and Tyla," stated Axel behind a chuckle.

Rescue Tyla? Gohei, tempted to slap himself, had nearly forgotten Tyla was in the clutches of the enemy. Here, he had been relaxing and goofing off with his friends while Tyla could have been suffering at the very moment. Guilt rose up from the depths of his psyche and he was ashamed of himself for wasting time like this. While he doubted the Invaders would kill her if they would go to the trouble of capturing her, there was no telling what other things they could do to her. Tightening his fist, he wished he could go to her now.

"M-Mr. Piccolo!" he said, his teeth clenched against one another. "W-Why do you think the Invaders kidnapped those two in the first place? Do you...think they're just trying to draw us in?"

"Seems that way. They probably figured you all would show up with those two as their hostages without fail. They're most likely preparing a trap. Why though, I have no clue. It would make more sense for them to want to destroy us outright after all the trouble we've caused, but they seem more inclined to keep us alive for some reason."

Kain slammed his hand into his fist. "Too bad! If they want us to come then that's what we'll give them! If they think we're just going to fall into their hands without a fight, they're sorely mistaken!"

While Gohei agreed with Kain, he found himself pondering Piccolo's theory. Why would the Invaders want to keep them around? Surely, they really would be better off with he and his friends out of the picture, yet it was as if someone needed them for an unknown purpose.

"That reminds me," said Axel with his hand on his chin, making Gohei turn to him. "Sarai said something about a very powerful fighter. Who do you suppose that was?"

"Well it couldn't have been that Lilma or that Soyl guy," answered Kain. "We saw them back at the ship and there's no way they could have come all the way over here, not before us anyway. It must have been someone else. Weren't there supposed to be Four Generals waltzing around? Guess it must have been the last guy."

"Right. I defeated Plinto, so chances are, it's the last General."

Gohei nodded at this. "Uh...b-but...who's this Lord Icer guy that everyone keeps going on about? I-Is he here on Earth?"

"No," said Piccolo plainly. "Trust me. You would know if someone like Icer was here. Luckily for us, however, he isn't. If he were, I would honestly say that we would stand no chance of stopping him."

"H-Huh?! He's **that** powerful?!" cried Gohei. If even Piccolo was no match for Icer, Gohei certainly was glad he was nowhere near. "B-But who is he?"

"Icer...is the leader of the Planet Trade Organization. They are a large group that roams across the galaxy, conquering planets and selling them to the highest bidder. Of course, the native population of said planets would obviously not find the prospect of their world being sold to another group of individuals appealing, so Icer and his men destroy the natives before claiming the planet for themselves."

"T-That's awful," said Axel behind an expression of concern and disgust.

"It would be, if that's what Icer did with the group. The **old** Planet Trade Organization used to operate like that, but the new one is different. Rather than sell the planets, Icer simply conquers them and rules them for himself. You see, he wants to control the entire universe if he can. He wants to get his hands on each and every planet out there and he'll stop at nothing to do it."

Kain crossed his arms. "Say, how come we've never heard of these 'Planet Trade Organization' guys before? Figure a group like that would be common knowledge."

"Icer and his men have been in a different part of the galaxy for over three hundred years now. There's no way anyone from Earth would have knowledge of him. The old one, on the other hand, hasn't operated in about three hundred years." Piccolo closed his eyes for a moment, as if trying to recall something. "I suppose it was only a matter of time before he came to Earth, but I hoped he wouldn't find this planet. It seems I was wrong. He's every bit the scum his father was too."

"His father?" said Gohei. "Icer has a brother?!"

"You don't have to make that face, Gohei. He **used** to have a father. However, he's dead now. He has been for a very long time."

"W-Who was his father? Er...I mean, what was his name?"

Piccolo paused before uttering a single word: a name. "...Freeza."

For a person Gohei had never heard of, the name 'Freeza' made his heart skip a beat. He didn't have to know the individual to realize he was a villain, someone Gohei wouldn't want to run into down a dark alley. It was clear Piccolo thought the same. The name by itslef made his face contort in a strange manner for a split second. It was a name he seemed to not want to bring up, perhaps never again in his lifetime. Gohei, really, **really** wanting to ask who Freeza was, held his tongue.

"So, I take it the soldiers working for Icer..."

"Yeah, are from the planets he's in control of," said Piccolo, responding to Axel's question before he had even finished. "Some of his men are from planets he hasn't touched yet, but the men in question feel it's only a matter of time before he does find them and takes them over, so they opt to side with him beforehand so not to be destroyed."

"Cowards," mumbled Axel. The mere thought of working for someone like Icer and be forced to take innocent lives was enough to make him sick.

"...That's about all I can tell you," said Piccolo, as he shut his eyes once more.

"How come you know so much about this stuff, Mr. Piccolo?" said Gohei.

"...You three have probably realized by now, but I'm a lot older than I look. A **lot** older. All this information I've heard from others and the rest is simply things I've picked up during my long life time. I haven't actually met Icer myself, not that I'm in a hurry to do so anyway. I'll say it again though: Icer isn't a joke. If any of you happened to run into him somehow, somewhere, I suggest you don't fight him. Run instead."

Kain raised an eyebrow. "**R-Run**? Come on! He can't be **that** strong!"

Judging from the glance Piccolo had just given Kain, Icer **was**. Considering Piccolo was warning them repeatedly about the dangers of facing Icer, Gohei, Axel, and Kain figured it probably was a good idea to stay clear of him. Unfortunately, they **had** already messed up the tyrant's plans plenty of times already by defeating his men time and time again. Gohei wondered whether or not Icer would take the first ship to Earth if he ever got wind of their antics.

"Well, I guess there's no point worrying about this Icer guy if he ain't on the planet." Kain shrugged at his own remark. "Let's just focus on getting the Invaders that kidnapped Master Daigu tomorrow!"

"That means we have to defeat the remaining Generals," said Axel.

"Sheesh. Easier said than done," Gohei replied halfheartedly. "We barely got away from Lilma and Soyl before. Plus, we might be running into a trap. Then again, I guess we got no other choice. If we don't go, who knows what'll happen to Tyla and the old man."

"Hey, that's 'Master' to you," chirped Kain.

"Hey, he isn't my Master yet," Gohei retorted. He looked up at the full moon in the sky for what felt like the thousandth time to him, his eyes being drawn to it for no particular reason every instance. "Well, we'll have to be on our A-game tomorrow if we want to get anything done. I sure hope we'll be okay."

The moon catching his attention as well, Axel added, "...Agreed."

* * *

The next day had come in what seemed like a blur to Gohei, contrast to the slow night before it. He and his companions had spent the entire time sparring, or at least, Kain and Axel had. Gohei had stopped midway through, half because he was sleepy and half because he was hardly able to keep up with his friends, who were leagues ahead of him when it came to strength. He had instead asked Piccolo if he could show him a few more moves before the coming battle, yet the Namekian had refused outright, simply going back to his meditation. This had been the second time his new mentor had declined training him and Gohei honestly wanted to know why.

"Keep your guard up at all times," Piccolo said, sounding like a broken record at this point. The sun was still rising above the group. "Getting up this early and attacking should take them by surprise hopefully. Are you all ready?"

Gohei yawned loudly. He hadn't gotten much sleep and his eyes were weary with tiredness. With reddened eyeballs, he gave a small nod at Piccolo's inquisition and then shot a glance over to Kain and Axel. They didn't look worried at all, as they prepared themselves for today. On the contrary, they looked as if they couldn't wait to get going. He could see why. While he wasn't as enthusiastic, he too could hardly sit still, wanting to punch the first Invader he laid eyes on if he could. Even so, there must have been quite a lot of soldiers guarding the ship, not to mention the last General, who's identity was still a mystery.

"Uh...about that last General guy," he started, stammering for some reason. "D-Do you think he's the one in charge? I mean, the one that's **really** in charge? He's the only one we haven't seen yet, so..."

"I was thinking the same thing," said Kain. "I mean, why didn't he come out to fight us yesterday? Something tells me he's the head honcho and I'm also thinking he's the strong guy Sarai was talking about. Heh, sucks to be him then because I'm going to beat his face in so bad, even his mother won't recognize him!"

Axel cringed at the idea. "W-Well, that is all well and good, but we should probably start moving. We had best act before the Invaders decide to attack another city. Like Piccolo stated, we should catch them off guard if we depart now."

"R-Right!" said Gohei. He then faced Piccolo. "You ready to go?"

"...No, I won't be going." Piccolo had said this with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, so he didn't see the stunned expressions on everyone else's faces. "...I have something I need to do first. Go on without me. I'll try to catch up."

"W-What could be so important that you can't help up stop a freakin' invasion of the Earth?!" Kain demanded to know with his hands on his hips

There was no answer or explanation from Piccolo. He merely began to walk away and although Kain should have been used to this from him, he still found himself pissed off by the way he held his tongue whenever he or the others him something. Axel managed to hold Kain back and he ran after Piccolo himself.

"W-Wait! Are you going to get some help?"

Piccolo muttered, "Something like that..."

"I-I see. I will not stop you then."

"Hmph. I'll be back soon enough. Watch out for the others, Super Saiyan."

The phrase 'Super Saiyan' had an unexpected effect on Axel, while his hand gradually slipped off of Piccolo's shoulder. How did Piccolo know he had become a Super Saiyan? Had he watched Axel's fight with Plinto? Gazing at him as if he were some kind of specter, Axel failed to ask this himself, as Piccolo smirked and flew off just like that. Gohei watched his mentor disappear behind a white streak of light, next drawing his eyes toward Axel's stunned features.

"Something wrong?" he asked, an air of concern in his voice.

Axel shook his head. "N-No. No, nothing at all. Forget it."

Kain abruptly cried, "I-I can't believe he just left like that!"

"He said he would be back, Kain," said Gohei.

"I know, but...damn! Why didn't he say he was gonna run off real quick last night? I thought we were storming in with four men..."

"We will just have to bear with the circumstances," said Axel. "Leave him to his own transgressions for the time being."

Kain shrugged. "Fine, fine. I have no clue what this is all about, but it doesn't look like I'll be able to drag him back here. Whatever, let's just get a move on."

The strain of taking on the Invaders was beginning to drive each of them crazy. As such, they decided now was the best time to depart. Gohei glanced back toward the skyline behind him before he did and truly wished for Piccolo to return to them soon.

* * *

Axel recalled the Invader's round ship heading off toward the west when they saw it the night before, so he, Gohei, and Kain in turn decided it would be a good idea to search in that specific direction. In time, they found themselves flying over a mostly green stretch of land that went on as far as Gohei's eyes could see and they landed not too long afterward, since the object they had been searching for was spotted in an open clearing. Hitting the ground, Gohei noted that finding the ship had been a little **too** easy. It was sitting in the middle of nowhere and he reckoned you would have to be blind to miss it.

Kain peeked around at his surroundings. "Say, where are we?"

"Looks like the Spinach Wastes," replied Axel. "My Master used to bring me here for training a long time ago. A lot of ostriches tend to roam around these parts .There are also a few farms and farmers lying about, if I recall correctly, but I pray they have evacuated the area beforehand."

"Yeah. Wouldn't want to accidentally blow up anyone," Gohei chimed.

"Heh, like you'll even get to fight, kid." Kain popped the air out of his knuckles and he grinned. He then realized something was off about this setting. "W-Wait a sec! Where are all the guards?"

Axel saw it too. "Y-You are correct! Where **are** all the guards?"

"I figured there would be a lot more security around," added Gohei.

"That and the ship was rather easy to find."

"Yeah...it's almost as if they..."

The ship itself had cut Kain off. All of a sudden, the sound of gears whirring filled the otherwise calm Spinach Wastes and a metallic ramp extended itself from the front of the ship, folding out until it made an angled path of entry straight into the heart of the vessel. They first assumed that a group of Invaders were coming outside to meet them, yet absolutely no one appeared, even after they waited for a bit. Completely dumbfounded by this, Axel, Kain, and Gohei simply stared at the craft.

Eventually, Gohei asked, "Uh...d-did one of you guys do that?"

"No...I cannot take the credit," answered Axel. "It's almost as if..."

"They're inviting us inside?" Kain finished.

"Huh? Why would they want to do something like that?" said Gohei.

"I dunno, but it ticks me off!" Kain pondered if it was okay for him to be complaining about what most would call good fortune, though he hastily forgot about it, as his anger boiled once more. "What is this?! Is this some kind of trick?! Or are they just insulting us with this stunt?!"

Axel nodded his head. "I am not sure, but our theory of assuming they wanted us to come seems to be gaining credibility. Well, we had best not disappoint them then. Let's go."

While Gohei was unsure of heading inside, he decided he and the others might as well, since they had come this far to begin with. The three walked up the ramp and into the unknown and any thoughts of turning back vanished along with them.

* * *

"So, they are here."

A suave sort of person spoke in an excited, yet reserved manner, as he watched his three new guest step into a large, circular room of the ship on the screen of a wide monitor. Sipping on a glass of red wine, this man swiveled around in his chair and he heard Kain state that the interior of the ship was just as empty as the outside. Gohei remarked that there could have been soldiers nearby, while Axel told the two to remain cautious. The sight of their confusion made the individual watching them grin even harder.

"I can't believe they actually showed up," said another. Soyl, one of the Four Generals, stepped up with his hands behind his back and a rather rough expression on his face. However, his grimace faded, replacing itself with the same sinister smirk as his comrade at the sight of Axel and company. Shifting to him, he asked, "These people are stupider than I gave them credit for, it seems. How unfortunate."

"Come now, Soyl. Don't be rude. What did you expect them to do after we took their companions the way we did? You should be applauding their bravery!"

Soyl's two antenna twitched some at the statement. "Hmph, I suppose you have a point, Kidnel. Still, do you suppose it was wise to just grant them access to the ship like this?"

"Hmm..." Kidnel took Soyl's question in, along with his red wine. "I just wanted to...test these people. I wanted to see first hand how they've defeated our men. I wanted to see with my own eyes the individuals that killed Plinto and defeated Lilma. I wanted to see their abilities on display, right in front of me. That's all."

"Tch! Those two? Plinto was a hopeless case and Lilma's nothing more than a stupid monkey. You shouldn't be so shocked they were beaten, even by a few Earthlings."

Kidnel chuckled at the Namekian's talk. "I see. Well then, I suppose you're saying you would fare much better against them, am I correct?"

"Hmph. As if you'd even have to ask."

Taking another swig from his clear glass, Kidnel said, "Good to hear. I want you to greet our guests then, Soyl."

"What was that?" Soyl scrunched the muscles up in his face. "Don't speak to me as if I'm another one of your subordinates, Kidnel! Lord Icer sent the four of here to conquer this planet together. We are **equals**! I am not...!"

Defensively, Kidnel shot his arms up, all while still beaming. "I apologize! I did not mean to upset you. No, I wasn't giving you an order, just a harmless request from me to you. If you aren't busy, would you mind going down there then and showing me your own abilities? Again, I apologize if my tone of voice was miseleading."

"That's more like it." Soyl placed a Scouter over his left eye. "Don't worry. I'll take care of them for you. I know how you don't like dirtying your 'precious' hands, so leave everything to me. I've been itching for some fun anyway!"

Kidnel sensed a bit of irritation in Soyl's speech, yet said nothing about it. Prepared to leave, Soyl shot one last glance at the man staring intently at the three people talking between themselves on screen and then vanished from sight.

"Good. Things are going as planned," Kidnel said, gulping down the rest of his drink. The image of Axel on one of the screens made him begin chuckling at it. "Yes, this man right here. He may just be the one I was looking for. We shall see."

* * *

Axel, Kain, and Gohei trotted down yet another hallway, one Kain could have sworn they had been down for the ninth time. It appeared they were running in circles. They hadn't ran into even one person while walking around and it was if the round ship had been abandoned. Had they been tricked into coming to an empty ship? None of them saw the point in their enemy's fooling them with such a rouse, as it did nothing to get rid of them. The fact that they could sense a number of high power levels on the ship confirmed that they weren't actually alone anyway.

"Maybe they're all asleep?" suggested Gohei. He could hardly believe he was thinking it, but he was seriously becoming bored with the lack of stimulation.

Axel laughed at the comment. "I doubt it, but it would sure be nice. Getting Tyla and Daigu back would be quite simple if that **were** the case."

"Yeah, I guess," said Kain. His mind was elsewhere and lagging behind the other two, his head turned left and right in the hallway like he were waiting for something to pop out and surprise him. "Wonder if there are any booby traps around. They wouldn't need to send anyone out here if some spikes from the ceiling could just kill us instead."

Gohei thought he had a point. "I-I sure hope not!"

"Gah! This is driving me crazy!" Kain punched the wall beside him, frustrated at the lack of Invader skulls to crush between his fingertips. "Where **is** everyone?!"

Axel wished he could answer. He had anticipated traps or obstacles for them to have to avoid himself, but nothing of the sort had blocked their path yet. Despite this, a sense of uneasiness stayed with him. He could feel a pair of invisible eyes bearing into him, something he didn't like at all. He then stopped suddenly, causing both Gohei and Kain to crash into him.

"What's the big idea?" Kain wanted to know.

"Is something wrong?" Gohei added.

"...N-No. Just my nerves, I suppose," said Axel, considerably bothered.

They continued onward. The passed a number of empty rooms, some of which looked to be the lodgings where the soldiers slept, while others were filled with equipment the three of them had never seen before. Countless times, Gohei had been tempted to explore the walls of round ship because everything was so interesting around him, but Axel informed him that straying off probably wasn't a good idea. Besides, the more they wandered around, the more worried about Tyla Gohei became. Where was she? What was she doing right now? Was he okay? He couldn't recall a time where he had been so concerned about anyone befor. If anything had happened to Tyla, he knew he would end up blaming himself. Then again, he recalled that Tyla was tough, tougher than anyone he had ever known. She was the one who had took on Darunga and the rest of the kids at the orphanage that picked on Gohei and her shouting was enough to scare anyone. Laughing at this, he imagined that if the Invaders really did try to mess with her, she would give them one hell of a nagging for their troubles.

"And what could you possibly be laughing at?"

Gohei had been so lost in thought, he hadn't noticed Kain leering down at him with a rather goofy smile. He quickly gestured, "Nothing!" with his hands, yet Kain wasn't buying it. "I-I said it's **nothing**!" Gohei repeated.

"Uh huh! Thinking about your **girlfriend**, huh?" said Kain, his nostrils flaring.

"G-Girlfriend?! I-I told you already! Tyla isn't my girlfriend!"

"Aha!" Kain pointed a triumphant finger at Gohei. "So you **were **thinking about her!"

Steam shot out of Gohei's ears and his cheeks became a vibrant shade of pink. He tried to stammer some kind of response and found his mouth unwilling to make human speech. He **had** just had Tyla in his thoughts and he would be lying to Kain if he said otherwise. Cackling in a haughty fashion, Kain kept muttering things like, "Gohei and Tyla, sitting in a tree!" and, "Are you gonna give her a big fat smooch when you find her?", while Gohei tried his best to drown him out.

"E-Enough, Kain," said Axel, who was trying, and failing, to hide a few giggles.

"I'm just messing with the kid!" retorted Kain, bearing all his white teeth. "Just make sure you're not distracted while fighting, kid. Wouldn't want you thinking of your girlfriend while you're on the wrong end of an energy blast."

Gohei's face was reddening even more, though it was no longer from embarrassment. "D-Don't worry about me! I'll be fine! I'm more worried about **you**!"

Kain flinched. "What?"

"You heard me! Let's just hope your hot hotheadedness doesn't get us all killed!"

"A-And what's **that** supposed to mean?!"

"Well, you're trying to go all 'man hunter' on these Invaders that I wonder if you've forgotten how strong they are! I'm just telling you not to get yourself killed over something stupid!"

"H-Hey! Don't talk to me like that! I'm your mentor!" Kain barked.

Growling, Gohei angrily answered, "You're no mentor of mine! You act even more immature than I do sometimes, so how could you be **my **mentor?!"

Axel palmed his hand over his face, as Kain and Gohei pressed their noses against one another, ready to tear the other apart. This was hardly the time for them to be fighting, but perhaps since there wasn't anyone else around to duke it out with, they were taking their pent up aggression out on each other. Shrugging his shoulders, Axel wasn't sure what to do with them.

While Axel didn't want to break the two up, someone abruptly blasting a hole in the wall in front of him did so inadvertently. He, Kain, and Gohei faced a cloud of billowing smoke and braced themselves, all while an individual climbed out of the newly created opening. Kain groaned at the sight of Lilma, the Saiyan warrior he had faced only yesterday. She beamed brightly in their direction and waved, as if she were a close, personal friend of their's. Naturally, the three of them got on guard and she honestly looked taken aback by this.

"Hey, I'm not gonna bite you!" she coyly said. "...Then again, maybe I am!"

Gohei gulped. "Aw man! I figured someone would show up eventually, but why did it have to be one of the strong people off the bat?!"

Lilma closed her eyes and cheerfully asked, "Do you all remember me?"

"Of course! I don't really forget chicks that turn into big, hairy apes!" shouted Kain.

"W-Who are you calling **hairy**?!" Lilma's face contorted into one of disgust and with her bottom lip shaking, she was ready to rip Kain's head off for his less than kind remark. "I'll have you know that I shave everyday!"

"Hmph! Even an Earthling couldn't help but recall the scent of a dirty monkey such as yourself!"

Another crevice was created in the wall, this time behind Kain and Gohei. Soyl, the Namekian General, was the one to appear this time around. He glared at everyone present, but at Axel and Lilma in particular.

"Tch! This guy too?!" Kain cried. "Well, the more, the merrier!"

"Hmph. I don't think you'll be saying that after I finish breaking your neck, Earthling!"

"H-Hey! W-Were you calling **me **a dirty monkey, you jerk?!" said Lilma, pointing at Soyl while wagging her finger frantically.

Soyl snarled, showing his teeth. "And what if I was?!"

"Hey! I put my makeup on and everything for this, buster! At least I don't look like a stupid slug...plant thing!"

"Y-You foolish monkey! Do you even know who you're talking to?!"

"A worthless excuse for a Namekian?" she innocently replied.

"Shut your mouth, monkey, or I'll shut it for you!" Soyl barked in return.

Monkey. Soyl had called Lilma that a couple of times now and Gohei had the feeling that it was anything but a compliment. While it was true Lilma could turn into a giant ape, he didn't see why Soyl had to give her such trouble for it, as she was quite pretty otherwise. He then recalled that Lilma was a Saiyan and that perhaps 'monkey' was a rather rude way of referring to one.

Soyl and Lilma had been going at it for awhile now and neither Axel or Kain had the patience to wait for them to finish. They stood back to back to come up with a plan of action.

"...I will take the Namekian," Axel began, gesturing to Soyl. "You take the woman."

Kain rolled his eyes. "W-Why do I have to fight her again?!"

"Well..." Axel rubbed his chin with his finger. "I...do not like to fight women."

Kain fell on his head. "W-What?! What kind of stupid excuse is that?!"

"I told you before that I did not!"

"I-I know you did, but that didn't stop you from attacking her yesterday!"

Axel blushed. "T-That was different! She was a giant ape then!"

"Agh! Fine! I wanted to find that Elastro guy, but I guess I'll handle her for the time being! Just try not to get yourself killed against that green guy!"

"Thank you. Good luck with her."

Gohei then stated, "And what should I do?"

"We'll distract these two so you can find Tyla and Daigu," explained Axel.

While it felt like he was getting the short stick on this deal, Gohei had no complaints with his task. It wasn't as if he could take on either Lilma or Soyl anyway. Nodding at Axel's words, he tried to tiptoe away to begin his search, but both Soyl and Lilma stopped shoving insults down one another's throats long enough to notice him.

"H-Hey! Where are you going?!" Lilma demanded to know.

"If you think any of you are escaping here with your lives, you're sorely mistaken!" said Soyl in an irate tone.

It happened in the blink of an eye. Gohei had been heading down the end of the hallway when Soyl materialized in front of him as if he had always been there. Startled by this, Gohei was in no condition to block the punch that was heading his way. Axel, on the other hand, was. He managed to hold Soyl back and the two struggled against one another.

"Gohei, get going!" yelled Axel.

"R-Right!"

Axel certainly didn't have to tell him twice. Gohei dashed off as fast as he could and he heard the sounds of Soyl cursing from behind him. If he was going to find Tyla and Master Daigu in a place like this, he would have to check every nook and cranny of this place, something he knew wasn't going to be easy. He didn't even know if he would be able to do anything by himself. Looking at himself, all he knew was one thing.

He would just have to try.

END

* * *

A/N: Uh, I don't usually do these author's notes things and I don't think I'm any good at doing them, but here goes. I just wanted to say thanks to everyone that's read, reviewed, and enjoyed the story so far. I really do appreciate the support. I will try to have the next chapter up soon. as soon as I'm done with work. I usually write a few in advance, but take quite awhile to go over them. Well, stay tuned and thanks again.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The Sacred Land of Karin. For those blessed enough to make the trip there, they beheld a relatively large area, with trees strewn about its lush, green landscape, a small village that most assumed had been there as long as the land itself, and a fresh spring inside of an ancient temple that was said to have magical properties. No one was positive about the latter rumor having any truth to it, yet the residents there often claimed that the god cat Karin himself used the glittering spring to grow his magic beans.

Nonetheless, what attracted most people to this land was the tall, massive tower that hover over everything in sight and extended upward for as far as the eye could see. Many had attempted to climb it, for at the top, Karin himself was said to reside. The task, on the other hand, was as daunting as most would assume. Most challengers had neither the stamina nor resolve to scale it for very long and those that tried either badly hurt themselves or perished in the attempt.

Those that could make it to the top were promised power behind their wildest dreams thanks to the Sacred Water said to be given to those conquered the climb. This was a lie though. The real training was climbing the tower and those that shortcut their way to the top by using aircraft or other means received nothing whatsoever for their efforts. The water itself was solely that: plain tap water.

Luckily for Piccolo, he did not need the climb or the Sacred Water, so simply flying up Karin Tower saved precious time. Within minutes, he made it to the top: a circular temple with a multitude of pillars spiraling around its ledges. The moment he arrived, a small, blue-furred cat carrying a walking stick and possessing a pair of half moon glasses on his slit-like eyes came to greet him. This was Karin, the tower's namesake and an immortal feline. He grinned toward Piccolo, while his long whiskers twitched around feverishly.

"Back so soon?" he asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice. "I take it things aren't going well on Earth then. I've managed to pick up a few things going on down there with my sensitive ears, so..."

"Then you know why I'm here," Piccolo said impatiently.

"...Indeed I do. Don't worry, I have more Senzu ready. Here."

Karin tossed a brown sack at Piccolo, who caught it, opened it, and saw that there were about five or six Senzu within. He had hoped for more, but he knew beggars certainly couldn't be choosers and he closed the bag's mouth with a tight rope before pocketing it.

"That should be enough Senzu to get you through this crisis," said Karin, able to tell Piccolo's inner thoughts by his bothered expression.

"I'm not so sure about that, but I'll try to put them to good use."

"Hey, those things are rather difficult to grow, not to mention the fact I've had no reason to do so in a very long time!" Karin picked his paws at his spectacles, as flash of light reflected off of them. "Let's just say I've gotten a bit rusty."

"Hmph. I don't need you going senile on me in your old age."

Karin replied coyly, "Huh, you're one to talk."

The conversation died down and the two leered at one another for a short while. A group of birds then chirped by happily, painfully oblivious to the destruction and carnage down below on Earth. Piccolo suddenly brandished his cape and readied to leave with his business attended to, but the sound of Karin speaking again halted him.

"The ones fighting down on Earth...are they strong?" the cat asked softly.

Piccolo paused at the question. He then said, "They are. They have to be. They're the only hope this planet has now that Son Goku and the others are gone."

Karin stroked his furry chin. "Right you are. I sure do miss everyone though. Hard to believe they're really gone sometimes. It's rather quiet around here with that oaf Yajirobe gone too. He was a freeloader and loudmouth, but he was company nonetheless."

Karin sighed. Piccolo, not saying anything in response, knew exactly what the immortal cat was going through. The Z Fighters of old had succumbed to old age. Powerful martial artists they were, even they were susceptible to death. He had watched each of them die before him, Son Gohan's death in particular being nearly a crushing blow. He had been alone for some time now and he wondered if it was a curse for him to have had such a long lifespan, unable to see his friends again because of it.

"Right, I'll be going then," he said after a moment of reflection. He chose not to dwell on the matter for too long, lest he forget what he was supposed to be accomplishing.

Karin nodded. "Right, I suppose you're headed to Dende's then. Take care, old friend."

"You too. Thanks again for the Senzu. I'm off."

Karin watched Piccolo ascend higher and higher through the slits of his eyes, above his own Tower even, for Piccolo's next stop rested above the heavens themselves. The blue cat then peered down below to Earth. While most would be unable to see much, Karin could see everything that was going on and he became distressed at the state of things.

"Goku...what would you think of these people Invading our fair planet?"

The Lookout above Karin's Tower wasn't too far away, although most trying to reach it would have been plum out of luck. Assuming one's aircraft could make it there to begin with, the Guardian that made the Lookout his home repelled unwanted guests back down to Earth in an instant. Considering this, most people had given up on reaching it and finding out what secrets it held.

The Lookout itself was a circular platform that somehow floated in the sky of it's own accord. Trees circled around the edges of the place and lined the pathway that led up to the large building in the center. Smaller towers stood around the edifice, looking like small replicas of Karin's Tower and curiously, there was a ladder near one of the edges, though it would be impossible for anyone to use it to climb up or down the platform without knowing to use the Nyoibo connecting the Lookout with Karin's residence.

Piccolo touched down on the tiled, white flooring, as someone in the distance was watering a row of flowers. The black skinned, wide eyed individual tending to the plants peered over his shoulders at Piccolo and at once stopped what he was doing to scurry over to him. His red lips contorted into a smile, while Piccolo nodded at his presence.

"Welcome back, Piccolo!" the round man stated happily.

"Mr. Popo," Piccolo started. He was searching around for someone other than genie in front of him, yet the two of them were the sole ones present. "Where's Dende?"

"Is it...time for that already?" Mr. Popo asked in concern.

"Unfortunately. I hoped it wouldn't have to come to this, but the Invaders have caused more damage than I thought they would."

"I see. Well then, Dende is waiting for you. Follow me."

The headed inside the Lookout's main building, through a number of corridors, and finally into a smaller room that was almost pitch black save for a small torch in the center wall. Standing inside holding a large, wooden stick was an elderly Namekian. He contrasted from Piccolo greatly, as his skin was darker and littered with wrinkles, the parts where Piccolo had pink were instead brown on this Namek, and his eyes were reddened somewhat. He was adorned in a white robe with a blue cape on his back. On the center of the formal robe was the symbol for 'God' in a red font. The Namekian limped forward on his cane and he and Piccolo exchanged a short, but heartfelt embrace.

"It's good to see you again, Piccolo," said the old Namek, smiling warmly. "For a moment there, I thought you had forgotten about me!"

Piccolo smiled at him in the same manner. "Dende, you're looking well."

"Hmm, you flatter me. However, you know as well as I do that I'm getting on in years," Dende stated, laughing cordially. He shifted away from Piccolo, paced around the room as if looking for something, and then made his way back over to his guest. "I take it you're here because..."

"Yes, and we don't have a lot of time. I need to get back down to Earth. I'm growing worried about the people I left."

Dende nodded at this. "Mr. Popo, will you fetch the figure of Shenlong for me? Hmm, I never thought I would be asking such a thing ever again..."

"Of course, Dende," said Mr. Popo, leaving the room.

"So, is everything set?" asked Piccolo.

"It should be," said Dende. "I just need to restore Shenlong and the Dragon Balls should be revived instantaneously. I'll ask you again though, Piccolo. Are you sure you want me to do this? We promised Goku and Gohan we would get rid of them if we thought they weren't needed anymore. You know if I restore them, I won't be able to deactivate them immediately."

"I'm sure." Piccolo crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "And they **are** needed now. The people on Earth may abuse the Dragon Balls afterward, but we need them now more than ever. People are dying for no good reason and I'm sure Goku would have wanted each and every one of the victims to have a chance to live out their days in peace."

Dende frowned at this, but agreed, just as Mr. Popo stepped back into the room. In his hands was a small statue of a dragon inside of a glass tin. The figure was in disrepair, with chips and cracks in various places on its cold, gray body. Mr. Popo placed the figurine on the table, bowed toward Dende and Piccolo, and stood back to watch what happened next. With everything prepared, Dende placed his hand over the statue and gave Piccolo one last look that said, "Are you sure?" Piccolo gestured, "Yes." with his head, causing Dende to nod back. Dende, stepping back, pointed a wrinkled finger at the tin. A thin beam then shot out of his fingertip, hitting the top of the container. The moment it did, the statue inside of it glowed and the miraculously shot out of its prison, out of the room, and then out of sight.

"There..." said Dende, exhaling. "The Dragon Balls should be active now. To think I would even need to reactivate them in the first place. Well, they should be able to grant three wishes like before, but if you're planning to bring back a lot of people, you'll be down to two."

"I still remember, Dende," chimed Piccolo, trying not to smile.

"Ah, of course," replied Dende, also trying not to laugh. "Forgive me. In my old age, I'm beginning to assume everyone is as forgetful as I am."

"You're not that old. If you're old, what does that make me?"

"Good point," said Dende in a joking tone. He then asked, "Are you going to gather them all now then, Piccolo?"

"No. I want to wait until we sort out this mess first. I'll start collecting them afterward. I figured it would be best, however, to have you revive them now, while I was still alive to tell you to do so.."

"P-Piccolo..." Dende stammered some at the idea that Piccolo felt his life was in danger from the Invaders. From his Lookout, Dende knew they were trouble, yet he never for a second doubted Piccolo's ability to defeat them. "A-Are they really that powerful?"

"Only the Four Generals in charge" said Piccolo. "Still...we can never be too careful. Fortunately, they don't seem to be aware about the Dragon Balls."

"Right then. I've been watching you fight alongside those people down on Earth. To think there would actually be two more Saiyans on this planet. Where do you suppose they came from? You don't think..."

"No. I don't think they're related to Goku or Vegeta or anyone from their bloodlines. Still, there shouldn't be anymore Saiyans out there at all, yet, I also saw one working for Icer just yesterday."

"**T-Three** Saiyans?!" Dende exclaimed, nearly stumbling over his walking stick. "G-Goodness! I-I wouldn't have imagined..."

"Agreed. Somehow, warriors from the Saiyan race are popping up again."

Dende glowered a bit at the statement. "I don't know if that's a good thing..."

"Well, with people like Axel and Gohei, it might just be a blessing in disguise. I can't say I'm particularly fond of Saiyans, but I certainly won't complain with a few more on my side. You've seen what they can do, Dende. You've seen how they face impossible odds and come out stronger than before. We'll worry about how there are more around all of sudden later and just focus on dealing with the people invading the Earth right now."

"Y-Yes. I suppose you're right. Huh, some Guardian of Earth I am," said Dende, half smiling, half groaning. "There isn't much I can do to help the people down on Earth right now."

"It's fine. You bringing back the Dragonballs is good enough." Taking one more look at the now active statue of Shenron, Piccolo headed for the exit. "I have to return now. I promised the others I would return."

"Right. Take care then, Piccolo, good luck," said Dende.

His cape wavered behind him and soon enough, Piccolo had departed. For a split second, Dende wondered if this was the last time he would be seeing his friend, while he watched him take his leave. He hastily banished the notion from his mind. If there was anyone he had faith in enduring something like this and living to tell the tale, it was Piccolo. He had done so a number of occasions and Dende took this to heart, calming down.

"Still..." he began, placing his hand on his chin. "Just who are these Saiyans down there fighting on Earth? How alarming. Goku, if only you were here to help us out right now..."

* * *

Just outside the Dende's residence, Piccolo collapsed to his knees and began rasping for air. Anyone watching on would have been under the impression he was dying. His quivering hand reached for something inside of his clothing and with sweaty hands, he lifted a bottle filled with clear liquid up to his mouth. Finishing the bottle in a few heavy gulps, he let if fall from his grasp and it shattered to pieces on the ground. Whatever had been plaguing him had been stopped thanks to the liquid. He looked around soon after and was relieved to see that neither Dende nor Mr. Popo had seen a thing. The last thing he wanted to do was explain this mishap to them. His strength returning to him, he got back up, wiped off his mouth, and grunted.

"N-Not yet. I can't let it happen yet..."

* * *

How Axel and Soyl had managed crashing into an entirely separate area of the round ship, neither of them knew. Perhaps it had been when Axel was trying to stop Soyl from going after Gohei, or maybe it was when they had thrown one another through a number of the vessel's wall. Whatever the case, they were now smack dab in the middle of a common room, where the soldiers who had moments ago been enjoying their day off and talking among themselves were now roused into a complete panic. Axel and Soyl paid them no mind, as Soyl slugged Axel across the face right before Axel paid him back with a kick that sent his foe into a bookshelf.

"W-Why you...!" Soyl growled, as a dozen encyclopedias crashed onto his person.

"Do you give up?!" Axel demanded.

"To the likes of you, monkey?! Don't make me laugh!"

They ran at one another without another word and continued trading blows, all while a blue skinned Invader looked at his Meatian friend, pointing at the speed of Axel and Soyl's punches with a lowered jaw.

"H-How the hell are they doing that?!" he said.

"S-Should we help?" The Meatian asked, just as amazed.

"I-I don't know...should we?"

"B-But...I don't want a pay deduction. I nearly got my head chewed off the last time I tried to help General Soyl in a fight..."

Soyl went sailing past them and into yet another wall. Some of the other men in the room, their paychecks having never been affected by the Namek's temperament, attempted to help him to his feet. He scornfully swatted them aside however and muttered something about them being eyesores.

"Hmph! You're not bad!" he said to Axel behind a bloodied smile. "Still, you're not beating me! Not today! As if I could lose to a monkey!"

"You seem obsessed with calling me that, but Saiyan or not, I am not going to lose here today! Too much is at stake for me to die here!" Axel snapped back in defiance.

"Interesting! Let's how you stand up to **this** then!"

Axel was ready to fight again, but Soyl instead charged a large amount of energy into his palm, unleashing it without a moment's delay. His men screamed in utter terror, as the entire room was blown to pieces. Having barely gotten to safety, Axel leaped out of the smoke and rolled outside the ship. He looked up to the burning section of the craft, unsure as to why Soyl had done what he just had. Soyl turned up soon enough and he jumped out to join his opponent with the same confident smirk plastered on his features.

"W-Why did you just do that?!" said Axel, horror struck.

Soyl stretched his neck with his hand. "Do what?"

"Y-You just killed all of your men! Why?!"

"Tch! Isn't it obvious?! They were in the way! Regardless, I can get new subordinates. That's not a problem, so it's no loss."

"Your actions are cowardly, Soyl!" shouted Axel, gritting his teeth.

"Oh, you think so?" Not once did Soyl's grin fade away while he spoke. "Showing sympathy for the enemy now are you, monkey?"

"W-Why you!"

Axel's temper flared and his sleeping Ki was awakened. A blue aura enveloped him and the ground beneath his feet quaked and quivered. Already alarmed by this, Soyl's Scouter activated and made him even more worried at the reading it was giving him.

"T-Ten thousand and growing?! Ten thousand, five hundred! Eleven thousand! How is that even possible?! Someone from Earth shouldn't be this strong! I see now how he managed to get the better of Plinto!" Soyl followed Axel's lead and started to channel his energy as well. The Spinach Wastes shook even more violently from this. "However, beating Plinto means nothing to me! He was by far the weakest out of us Four Generals!"

"W-What?!" said Axel in shock. Was Soyl merely bluffing? Surely, Plinto wasn't as weak as Axel was being led on to believe. It had taken everything Axel had to beat him, yet here Soyl was claiming him to be a mere weakling.

Casting this out of his mind, Axel launched off a yellow wave of Ki, one that Soyl had no problem sidestepping. In return, the Namekian stretched one of his arms toward Axel, something that caught him off guard, as he had no clue his foe could do such a things. The limb wrapped around his neck and promptly began choking the life out of him. He gagged for air before employing the Ryunaru, the orange Ki flaring up around him.

"What?! His power level just shot up **again**?!" Soyl yelled. "Twenty one thousand?! So, these Earthlings can hide their power level and change it without transforming then?!"

Axel easily got himself out of Soyl's death vice thanks to his new found strength and with a burst of speed, he streaked at Soyl and got close enough to swing his fist. Soyl parried and the two threw a blurring array of punches, kicks, and whatever else they could at one another. Neither could lay a finger on the other, until Soyl managed to block one of Axel's hooks. He then delivered a punishing uppercut that sent the Saiyan flying back like a kite in the wind. Axel landed on both feet, just as Soyl appeared right behind him. The advantage Soyl thought he had was ruined when Axel kicked him from behind straight in his mouth, following this up with a spin kick, and then finally a punch to the gut. Purple blood leaped out of Soyl's throat and dripped down his lips. However, this did not slow him down and he countered all of this by ax handling Axel in the back and straight into the ground.

"DIE!" he shouted, launching off a point blank blast of energy. An explosion that threatened to destroy even Soyl went off, sending dirt and earth everywhere in its wake. The smoke cleared around him and Soyl caught his breath. "Good! That should take care of..."

His Scouter went off again, this time reading a power level of twenty four thousand. It couldn't have been coming from anyone but Axel, yet Soyl saw no sign of him. It was only when an orange glow began to blind him did he realize Axel was hovering **above** him, charging a Ryuho that was ready to go. Holding his hands up, Soyl started to hold off the blast, but much to his surprise, it was putting up one hell of a fight. His feet dug into the ground and Axel turned up the heat, enough that Soyl was now crouching down to hold it up enough not to destroy him.

"H-How is this possible?!" he said with the Ryuho pressing against his face. "N-No! I will not lose to such trash! I will not be beaten by a mere Saiyan!"

Feeding off his anger, Soyl managed to toss the orange ball elsewhere and it soon crashed down into a far off part of the Spinach Wastes, obliterating it instantaneously. Axel, in disbelief his blast had been deflected landed on the ground and sighed.

"He is...just as strong as he claimed he was," said Axel between shallow inhales. "Still, I do not understand why I am so excited."

It was true. Adrenaline was coursing through Axel's veins and what he wanted more than anything was to keep fighting. Even though Soyl was trying to take over his planet, even though this was a life or death battle, he was still pumped. Fighting such a powerful foe was all he could ever ask for and his body was practically screaming at him to stop sitting around and go at it with Soyl some more. This was nothing new. Even when he was younger, training with his master had often been the high point of his days. He, and his Master in turn, had always found it peculiar, but never as much as right now.

"Hmph! You had best take this seriously, Saiyan!" said Soyl out of the blue. It was as if he had been probing through Axel's mind. "That is, unless you really want to die!"

"You should do the same then, Soyl," Axel snapped back. In response to this, Soyl raised his eyebrow and appeared as though he wanted Axel to drop dead on the spot. "If you underestimate me, you **will** regret it, I promise you."

"...Ahahaha! Ahahaha! Quite the comedian, aren't you?! I'm glad though! It's been quite a long time since I've been able to go all out! Monkey, I will enjoy ripping you apart!"

"Talk is cheap! Let us do this!"

The real battle would be beginning in mere seconds, as Axel and Soyl squared off.

* * *

"So, where are you taking me again?"

Kain had been flying behind Lilma for quite some time around the interior of the round ship and he wasn't sure if she was actually leading them to their battlefield or just wasting his time having them go around in circles. Rather than an reply, Lilma looked back at him and winked, making his eyes roll in a circle in their lids. The two of them turned down another corner and Kain figured they must have arrived to their destination.

"Here!" Lilma declared, as if proudly showing something off to a parent.

"Here?" Kain glanced around. "This...is the same place from yesterday."

It was clear Lilma hadn't noticed this herself, since she peered around her greenhouse and then to the gaping hole in the ceiling she herself had made just yesterday. She chuckled nervously, causing Kain to palm his hand across his face. He didn't really much care where they fought, it was just that Lilma had made it seem like she was taking him somewhere special.

"Er...n-not this place. I don't want to mess up my babies," she stated, referring to the various plants and greenery scattered around the room. "Follow me."

"Sheesh. Try not to get us lost again, okay, doll face?" Kain tiredly said.

They didn't have to venture far to get to the spot Lilma had referred to. It was simply across the greenhouse and through a sliding door. Once they got inside, Kain saw that the area was basically the same as the other, being just as wide and big, but lacking vegetation.

"This is where I usually put the rest of my plants," Lilma explained. "Luckily though, I was cleaning the room before this, so we should have plenty of space to go at it!"

Kain cleaned out his ear using his pinky and appeared quite bored. "Yeah...uh...interesting story, but if we're going to do this, then let's get this over with. I have better things to do today, lady."

"W-What?! O-ooooo-oh! You're asking for it now, buster!" she shrieked, her lips pressed against one another. She cracked the knuckles on both of her hands and told him, "I'm going to pound your face in **real** good for that one!"

"I don't care, lady." Kain gestured his hand like a mouth and made the 'lips' flap up and down. "This is all you do. Are we fighting or what?"

Lilma's entire face turned as red as a beet. "Y-You cocky son of a...!"

"Look, it doesn't matter where or when we fight. You're not going to win!" Kain declared, as he smiled and raised his fist. "And you say you're going to 'pound my face in?' That's funny because you sure were having a hard time doing that yesterday."

That was the last straw. Fuming with anger, Lilma repeatedly stomped her foot into the floor, waved her finger at Kain, slammed the rows of her teeth so hard against one another, it was a miracle they didn't shatter like glass from the pressure. This reaction was exactly what Kain had been hoping for, if not for strategy, then just to see her get so upset.

"Y-You...! You insufferable...y-you just got lucky yesterday!" said Lilma, stamping her foot even harder. "If your Namekian friend hadn't shown up, I would have won for sure!"

Kain shrugged. "You don't have your tail anyway. No tail, no giant monkey. That was your only ace in the hole and now it's gone. Me, on the other hand, I have **plenty** of tricks up my sleeve!"

Lilma, wanting to lash back, managed to bottle up her frustration instead. She forced herself to smile prior to saying, "I see. So, you think just because I don't have my tail and because you roughed me up a little yesterday, you're going to win?"

"You aren't as dumb as you look, I see," said Kain casually.

A vein popped up on Lilma's forehead. "O-Okay! That's it! I'm going to show you why it's a bad idea to mess with a Saiyan when she's having a **really** bad day!"

Kain didn't have time for this. If he had to listen to her ramble on like this any longer, he was afraid he would kill himself. He didn't really care what Lilma said or did in the first place, as it had nothing to do with Elastro, the person he was really after. Even so, he found himself startled when Lilma was no longer in his line of sight, leaving only an afterimage. She certainly hadn't been this fast the day prior and Kain wondered if she was using some new technique to increase her agility. Nearly splitting his head open like an egg, an elbow collided with the top of his skull, sending him crashing through the metal flooring.

"W-What?!" he shouted. His legs felt more like jelly than flesh at the moment. He stood with his vision blurred, yet there was no sign of Lilma or whatever had hit him moments ago. "G-Gah! M-My head! How did she...?!"

Lilma was standing in front of him now. Where she had come from, he didn't know. All he could react to was the powerful kick that sent him skidding across the ground. He managed to flip to his feet, but Lilma simply dashed behind him and slammed her fist into his chin, sending him upward. She then appeared above him this time, knocking him back down with the swipe of her hand. After the stars had stopped spinning around his head, Kain got to his feet and rubbed the blood out of his eyes.

"O-Okay, what the hell?!" he said.

"Fufufu! What happened to all your vigor?" Lilma's feet hit the ground and she crossed her arms, laughing at Kain's sorry state. "I'm dead serious this time around, jerk. You're going **down **this time!"

It was strange for Kain to hear her so determined because it was different from her usual airy demeanor. He wasn't backing down though. "Oh yeah?! And who in the world is supposed to defeat me?! Not your sorry ass, that's for sure!"

"Oh yeah?! We'll see who's ass is sorry in the end!" Unfolding her arms, Lilma formed a ball of purple Ki in her fingertips. "Scatter Shot!"

Kain had seen this before. When Lilma fired off her attack, it quickly detached into five separate ones. He told himself that he wasn't going to fall for this stunt again, as he dodged the first beam with ease. The second one he had to jump to avoid, while the third singed the top of his hair as it flew over him. The final two were closing in, but he dispelled them both with a one handed Ryuho. His efforts did little to deter Lilma, who made two more of her patented Scatter Shots and Kain was soon dealing with ten different beams. He screamed in annoyance at this, leaping out of harms way, while a group of them blew up in his wake. The rest he was forced to deflect with his bare hands, but Lilma was nowhere near being done. She lifted her arms above her head and formed a giant violet-shaded ball of energy that kept growing and growing until it's shadow loomed overhead.

"Give me a break!" Kain bellowed, as he watched the sphere of Ki head his way. "Cho Ryu Tekken!"

His arm was coated orange with energy and his uppercut managed to dispel the large orb. All the same, he could hardly call this a victory, considering he was already on the verge of passing out from exhaustion. Wanting to end things quickly, Kain activated the Ryunaru technique and shot up to Lilma in a flash. He unloaded a flurry of punches at her, but even with his speed boost, she was having little difficulty warding him off.

"You were beating me with this trick yesterday, but you don't seem to be having as much success this time!" she said, knocking another blow away from her with the flick of her wrist. "Are you holding back or something?"

"D-Don't think I'm done yet!"

The two locked their hands together and electricity was generated from the act. They then took turns slamming their knees into one another's, which in turn caused shock waves to vibrate the whole room. They each bore their teeth, glaring into each other's eyes intensely, and without warning, they slammed their foreheads together. In perfect rhythm, their bodies separated and flew apart as if they were paper wafting in the wind. Then, at exactly the same time, they fired off energy waves that clashed intensely. Neither beam could gain the advantage over the other until Lilma used both of her hands. It was then that Kain's eyes widened, as his own force was overtaken and Lilma's hit him dead on, sending his smoking body straight into the ground. It was much harder to stand than last time, yet Kain did so anyway, as Lilma dropped down feet away from him.

_H-How is she so strong all of a sudden?! Yesterday, she could barely lay a finger on me, but now it's the complete opposite! Even my Ryunaru isn't enough..._

"Finished already?" she said with a cordial cackle.

"Tch! Like hell! Say, have you been drinking your milk or something?"

"Oh, so you noticed how powerful I've become!" she said excitedly. She had been wanting him to touch on the subject and she was more than eager to explain where her newfound strength had come from. "We Saiyans have this nifty ability, you see. You gave me quite the beating yesterday, but that turned out to be a good thing! You see, when we Saiyans are near death or badly injured and recover, we gain a massive power boost! It's called a Zenkai and it's **really **coming in handy now, as I'm sure you've noticed!"

Kain's whole expression darkened at the news. "T-That's not fair! H-How in the hell is that even remotely fair?! I had all the bones in my body broken by your giant ass foot and you don't see me getting any stronger from it!"

"Haha! Cry some more!" she said exultantly. "Bet you don't feel so confident now, huh?"

As she was talking, Kain had failed to notice her crafting a sphere of Ki in her hand, one that had gotten constantly bigger as their discussion continued. By the time she had mouthed her last statement, it had grown three times in size.

"Heh, I've dealt with worse!" Kain wheezed. He was lying, though he tried his best not to let Lilma know. "I don't care if you got a Zenkai or whatever! I'm still going to win, doll face!"

"Oh yeah?!" Lilma snapped back. It was then that Kain took heed of the amount of energy she had been gathering and his jaw dropped as such. "Chew on this!"

Whipping her hand in his direction, she fired off the largest wave of purple energy Kain had ever seen in his entire life. It warped the air around it and his body froze on the spot at the mere sight of it. He managed to begin holding it off by holding out his arms, but naturally, it shoved him back almost instantly. He could feel his footing leaving him, his arms growing tired, and sweat drenching every part of his body. For a split second, he didn't know if he would be able to survive this time. It was taking everything he had simply to get pushed into the wall behind him, so how was he supposed to turn it away?

"No more whitty comments then, pretty boy?!" yelled Lilma. "No snappy comebacks anymore either?! What happened to you winning, jerk?!"

Kain ignored her. It wasn't as if he could spare turning his attention from her attack to listen to her taunts anyway. The blast was literally pressing against his face now. He was becoming desperate, unable to think clearly. Was he really going to die here? After everything that had happened, after everything he had said, was it all over for him? Were Sarai and the rest of the his fellow students at Master Daigu's dojo going to die in vain after all?

"N-NO! Not today!" he screamed through gritted teeth, as he found a second wind. An orange aura sprouted up around him and Lilma gasped in surprise! "Ryunaru! RYUHO!"

The orange blast managed to pierce right through Lilma's and then headed straight for her. However, without batting an eyelash, she knocked it aside as if swatting a fly and it instead blew up the wall behind her, illuminating the room momentarily. Kain was thunderstruck. While the aura around him disappeared, his entire body began to tremble, yet no one had lowered the temperature.

"B-But I put everything I had into that blast!" he declared adamantly. He had expected Lilma to have been in pieces right now, not blowing on her hand like she was drying her nails.

"Well, it **did** sting a little. That's about it though," she admitted.

"W-What?! Tch! Don't fuck with me, lady!" Kain's leg took a step back for him.

Lilma's eyes flashed when she noticed this. "Fuu, fuu, fuu! Don't tell me you're getting **scared**? Fuu, fuu, fuu! I never would have guessed! Oh well. I **suppose** you've entertained me as long as you could. What do you say we end this?"

Kain didn't like the sound of that at all. As he took another couple of hurried bounds backward, Lilma closed in on him. It was painfully apparent to him that he was running out of options.

* * *

While everyone else was busy fighting, Gohei was busy getting himself lost with the hulls of the Invader's ship. He walked past a large device that made funny noises and sounds, but as he did so, he realized this had been the fourth time he had seen it. He was certain it was the same one and as he pressed his head toward it, he came to the irritating conclusion that he was running around in circles. That was mostly because to him, everything on the ship looked the same no matter where he went. Sighing at this, he wondered how anyone got anywhere they needed to in a prompt manner. He was no closer to finding Tyla or Master Daigu than when Axel had told him to make a run for it, and that had been an hour ago. Gohei, wishing he had some sort of map to steer him in the right direction, put his hands in his pockets and decided keep moving.

"Tyla!" he then bellowed, feeling that if he couldn't find Tyla, perhaps she would still at least hear him and he would then be able to follow the sound of her voice. "Tyla! Can you hear me? Say something if you can hear my voice! Tyla-aaaa-aaa!"

There was no answer. He frowned at this and hoped her not answering was simply because she was unable to hear him, versus something preventing her from responding. He was distracted by the sound of footsteps and voices and he automatically assumed that his audible shouting had attracted some unwanted attention. The disturbance was down another corridor and Gohei quickly hid behind a corner to see what was going on. A group of armored soldiers appeared from down the hallway, talking in loud voices, and Gohei saw that they were led by none other than Elastro himself, the very person Kain had been itching to have a chat with. A low gasp exited his mouth, but Gohei covered it post haste and it was clear no one had heard him. He doubted they even knew he was there. Elastro's voice was the loudest in the area, considering it took very little effort at all for Gohei to hear what he was shouting about, loud snorting coming from his nose while he spoke.

"...And so **then** I discovered the location of the enemy base and single handedly defeated everyone there! Naturally, they were no match for my strength! They didn't lay a hand on me!" he proclaimed, tapping his chest with his fist as he did. It took everything in Gohei's power not to burst out laughing at this. "After that, I called for reinforcements, though naturally, I only did so because it was standard protocol to do so! I pretty much had the situation under control before anyone else got there!"

"W-Wow! That's amazing!" said a humanoid looking soldier, awestruck.

A purple skinned, horned alien added, "You really showed them what for!"

"How did you manage to discover the location of their base?!" said a shorter, stumpier soldier possessing green skin and four eyeballs. "I bet you found out some secret intelligence from one of the Earthlings and acted on that!"

"Thank you, thank you!" Elastro bowed gracefully, not remotely hiding the fact that he was loving every bit of the praise he was receiving. "Naturally, I tortured the information out of one of their warriors and acted on it without a moment's delay! Naturally, I even used my patented kung-fu action on them!" He then karate chopped the air, making his three associates cry out, all of them thoroughly impressed. "Oh, and those intruders from yesterday, I took them down as well!"

"But, I though General Lilma fought them off?" said the humanoid soldier, scratching his head. There were a number of his colleges that had attested to that too.

"Nonsense!" Elastro replied defiantly. "T-That's just a silly rumor going around! Naturally..." Gohei thought he would come out there and show Elastro what for if he said the word 'Naturally' one more time. "...I held them off without breaking a sweat! There was this one guy...er...some blond haired guy, who went down in the blink of an eye!"

The humanoid soldier said, "Y-You mean the one that pushed General Lilma to her limits?!"

"Wow!" the four eyed alien cried. "Y-You're **amazing**, Elastro!"

Unknowingly, Gohei had been making gagging noises with his throat, though luckily, no one down the hallway had heard him. To think that anyone was stupid enough to refer to someone like Elastro as 'amazing' really was enough to make him want to vomit. The fact that Elastro was also telling tales that rivaled the sort of lies kids at the orphanage would say if they were picking on him or doing things they weren't supposed to made Gohei shake his head. **He** had driven Gohei and the others away yesterday? The last time Gohei had seen him, he was sniveling on the floor, crying like a baby. Now he was proclaiming himself to be the champion of the world. It was infuriating enough to make Gohei want to make an unwelcome appearance, but opted to hold his position a little while longer, just as Elastro began to talk again.

"Alright guys!" said Elastro, as the voices died down some. "I gotta go on guard duty now..." He stated the last part with an air of exasperation. "See ya later!"

Elastro's party said their goodbyes and left him, while Gohei watched to make sure they really were leaving. He then leered at Elastro again, who soon disappeared behind a different door. He had mentioned something about being on 'guard duty' and an idea popped in Gohei's head.

"G-Guard duty? Wait a second! That's it!"

There was no other choice but to follow him to make sure. Checking that the coast was clear, Gohei trailed after Elastro, making sure to take every step he had so not to get lost again.

After a bit, Gohei was amazed to see himself in a totally different looking area. The rest of the ship had become so monotonous that the sight of this room made him gape his mouth. The room he had stumbled into must have been some sort of prison. Scattered about the medium sized area was a number of what Gohei could only believe were cells except that there were no metal bars. Instead, pinkish lasers filled their place, Gohei under the impression they were a lot more effective than the usual affair. Above him was a catwalk and another level that matched the one below it. There was no mistaking it. This was where the Invaders placed their captured prisoners, though Gohei was relieved a little to see that almost all of them were empty at the moment. He figured they saw no point in taking captives on a planet they were going to conquer anyway, at least, not during their invasion. They were more likely to execute anyone causing trouble on the spot.

"Whoa. How didn't I find this place before?!" he said, his head whipping around the place. He thought there would be guards lying around, although he quickly remembered that there were no prisoners here, so guards would be pointless. "I wonder if..."

There was a trio of voices echoing not to far off and Gohei's eyes darted over to the noise. There **was** someone here presently. Exercising caution, he tiptoed forward and peeked around the corner of a cell to see a sight that made him intake a burst of air. Sitting in a cell and being currently yelled at by Elastro was none other than Tyla and Master Daigu, the both of them with pain expressions of their faces from having to endure their's guards wrath. Gohei hastily hid himself once more and found himself unable to stop grinning. They were alive. Tyla and Daigu were alive. He mumbled this to himself a few times, almost wanting to cry from joy. Poking his head back out, he then noticed that Tyla nor Daigu seemed to be harmed in any way, other than having to listen to Elastro anyway.

"Alright!" he whispered. He couldn't believe how quickly his luck had turned around. "It doesn't look as if anyone else is here. I should be able to take down that Elastro guy easy. He wasn't that strong anyway..."

Gohei, preparing to throw his plan into motion, found himself unable to move. His brown eyes enlarged, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up straight, and a sense of being weighed down by an invisible force began to affect him. The biggest power level he had ever sensed was looming around him and as his horror stricken face slowly turned, he understood that the person in question was standing right behind him.

END

* * *

A/N: This was one of those cases where I didn't know whether to use the Japanese name or to just use the perhaps more well known dub one. Korin vs Karin. I've sort of been mixing and matching the Japanese names with the dub names of most of the locales (West City, the Sacred Land of Karin, etc), so I couldn't figure out what to do. Eventually, I just settled on using his Japanese name, as I've basically been doing the same with everyone else's names and because I was taking forever to review this chapter. I also Karin/Korin blue skin, just how it was in the manga. I never did get why they made it white in the anime.

It's also come to my attention that I've been forgetting to put linebreaks after I scene transition or focus on someone or something else, so I aplogize for that. I will remember to do so from now on and I will also go back and add ones to the older chapters, so if you were confused about something, you may wanna go back and check them out.

Enough rambling though. Thanks again for reading and until next time...


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

If Gohei had ever learned to walk or run, he had without a doubt forgotten how at the moment. A man, a very tall man, was leaning down to him, grinning exuberantly and in a manner that made an already anxious Gohei even more unnerved. The energy he was sensing from this being was off the charts and he couldn't understand how he hadn't paid heed to it before. Certainly, there was no way someone **wouldn't** be able to pick up such Ki. He wanted to say something to the man, anything, yet his lips merely quivered and his speech became nothing more than slurred attempts. Sweat glazed his face and the sight of it made the person in front of him bare even more teeth.

"We meet at last," he said in a refined and adequately thrilled tone of voice. "I've been watching you and your friends for a long time now and I must say that I am quite pleased to be standing face to face with one of you. What is your name, young man?"

Even if Gohei had wanted to answer, his body wouldn't have permitted him to do so out of fear. Seeing this, the pale skinned man chuckled and wiped black bangs out of his eyes. Gohei surveyed him as he did so, pondering more and more by the second who he was. If he was a soldier on this ship or apart of the invasion force, Gohei could hardly tell. He was wearing a fine, white tuxedo with a black inner shirt and dress shoes that went along well with his attire. His hair was a jet black color, gathered together in a short ponytail with many messy bangs hanging down his forehead. His nose was bridged, his eyebrows were attached to one another to form a single one, and his lips were pronounced, making his smile that much more menacing. What was most curious about this man though was his eyes. Gohei had never seen a person with eyes like this, they reminding him of a dog's or some other kind of canine's. They were a glinting crimson with nothing more than a single, black dot in the center. They gazed right into Gohei's, as he now saw that the man had crouched to eye level with him. This action made Gohei stumble back breathlessly.

"No need to be alarmed," the man said, bowing with his arm across his chest.

However, these words did absolutely nothing to calm Gohei. His throat had become dry, so he swallowed as hard as could to remedy it. It was then that he saw the Scouter over this man's right eye. So he **was** with the Invaders. Something then clicked in Gohei's head.

"A-Are you the...last General?" he asked, so low that he wasn't sure he was audible.

The man had heard him though. "Yes, you are correct. My name is Kidnel. It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance..."

The look on Kidnel's face told Gohei he was still curious about the latter's name.

"G-Gohei..." said Gohei, as if someone had put a gun to his head and forced him to talk.

"Gohei," Kidnel repeated, smiling. "As I said, I am the last General, Kidnel. I have been watching you and your friends for a long time now. You have done quite well to not only defeat my men, but Plinto as well. I had been intending to locate your other companions and greet them first, but I saw you coming here and decided I would say hello to you instead. You did a good job following Elastro here. I'll have to remind him to be a tad bit more vigilant in the future."

"O-Oh...I...see. T-Thank you...?" said Gohei, even more quietly. This was bad, he thought. He was face to face with the last of the Four Generals and he could barely move an inch. If they had to fight, he had no idea what he would be able to do other than die.

"Hmm..." Kidnel was examining Gohei up and down and while he stood again, Gohei nearly broke his neck trying to peer up at him because of their extreme height difference. "You are indeed a Saiyan; I am sure of it. Fascinating. To think there would be two of you on Earth. How did you managed to come to this planet?"

"Uh...I-I dunno." Gohei glanced across his shoulder and kept muttering that he hoped Axel or Kain would show up soon. While the conversation with Kidnel **was** casual, something about it still gave him goosebumps. "I-I didn't know I was a Saiyan or whatever until yesterday."

"I see," said Kidnel with a keen tone of interest.

"Uh...can I help you with something?" Gohei had to ask. If Kidnel was going to attack him, he found it strange that he hadn't done so yet.

"No," said Kidnel in the same voice, making Gohei raise his eyebrows. "As I stated, I merely wanted to say hello. Please, carry on."

"C-Carry on?"

"Yes. You were about to rescue your companions, correct? Well then, carry one."

"H-Huh?! Wait! What are you...?!"

Acting as if what he said had been as casual as his mannerisms, Kidnel turned away from Gohei, waved his hand, and disappeared almost as fast as he had appeared. Gohei, trembling even now, lost his footing and fell on his bottom, inhaling and exhaling rapidly. His heart had been seconds away from lunging out of his chest, it seemed. Kidnel's Ki had vanished along with him, as if it hadn't been there in the first place. Taking into account how big it was, Gohei had no clue how such a thing was possible. Nonetheless, what was even more disturbing was the calm, cool demeanor the General had displayed while speaking with him. If Gohei hadn't known better, he would have sworn they were long time friends taking the opportunity to greet one another on the street.

"T-That guy...why didn't he try to kill me?! W-What was his angle?"

The shouts of others in the background made Gohei recall what he was doing in this prison in the first place. His sweat drenched head shifted in the direction of Elastro's voice and he saw the man still yelling at Tyla and Master Daigu like his life depended on it. Gohei exhaled, knowing he had to get a grip on himself. Kidnel had left him in this world for whatever reason and to his own endeavors. If the Invader wasn't going to stop him, Gohei wasn't complaining.

"R-Right," he said, reassuring himself. "Now, let's see."

"Dang it! You two are the most annoying people I've ever had to guard!" yelled Elastro, while Gohei watched him stretch his stretchable arms about like wet noodles. "Now then, I already told ya that you aren't getting out of there, no matter how many times you complain! You got that?! I've got orders to keep an eye on you until all your little buddies are down for the count!"

Though he was nowhere near her, there was no way Gohei could mistake the signature scowl on Tyla's face. "And I told **you** that this isn't fair! We want out so we can see our friends, you...you...!"

Elastro pressed his ear to the cell. "You...what? Come on! Say it!"

Frowning even harder, Tyla held her tongue. Though she wanted to scream Elastro's head off, she also comprehended she was at his mercy. If he wanted to, he could kill her quite easily, something he might be tempted to do if she kept up her protests. Daigu took heed of this and abruptly slammed his long, wooden walking stick into the floor.

"Do not think you will get away with your treachery, alien. You and the rest of your comrades will soon regret ever coming to this planet," he said sternly.

"O-Oh yeah!" said Elastro. He was attempting to keep up his tough appearance, yet Daigu's tone of voice had rattled him some. "You really think those fools coming to rescue you will beat the Generals?! Ha! Don't make me laugh!" Casually leaning on Tyla and Daigu's cell while laughing, Elastro burned one of his fingers on the laser bars, causing him to jump back and yelp in pain. "T-That wasn't funny!"

For the second time today, Gohei had to restrain himself from laughing at Elastro's antics. He had other things he needed to be doing anyway. He watched as Elastro pulled out a newspaper, pulled up a chair, and mumbled something about having to check the 'space sports' before vanishing behind his reading material. Gohei, upon seeing this, couldn't believe his luck. Either Elastro was the dumbest person to ever live or there was someone else guarding the place, someone that could still see fit that Tyla and Daigu stayed put while Elastro goofed off. Kidnel had left, or at least Gohei presumed he had, so if there was someone else lying around, they weren't nearby, since Gohei could neither seen or sense their presence. If he was going to make his move, it would have to be now.

"Hmph. Damn space stocks have plummeted," said Elastro, flipping a page of his newspaper with his legs crossed. "Oh well, might as well get started on that crossword puzzle..."

"Hey! I've got something for you to read, idiot!"

Elastro lowered his parchment with a raised eyebrow, only to see a yellow Ki blast about to smack him dead in the face. He shrieked in terror, yet managed to scatter out of the way in time. Standing a few feet way was Gohei, who noted he probably should have tried a more stealthy entrance.

"G-Gah! I-It's you!" shouted Elastro, shaking and pointing as if he had seen a ghost.

"That's right! Me and my friends have been looking all over for you, Elastro!"

Perhaps realizing for the first time that the young boy standing in front of him was just that, Elastro calmed himself.

"I-I see! You've got a lot of guts coming to face me like this, kid! I guess the Generals must have been too preoccupied with your friends to chase a rat like you around!" he said.

Gohei growled in anger. "W-What's that supposed to mean?!"

"You heard me! Heh! I can take you on all by myself, kid!"

"W-Why I oughta...!"

"Gohei!" Tyla called out his name and it was only when she did so that he remembered she and Daigu were trapped there. Her face lit up at the sight of him, though she had to stop herself from trying to run out of herself and hug him, lest she hurt herself on the cell's bars. "I-I can't believe it! Y-You're alive!"

"Heh, not the response I expected, but I'll take it," he said to her, rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you guys alright?"

"Y-Yeah! I was worried sick about you though! We didn't know what happened to you and Kain after you left! Oh, don't scare me like that again!"

Gohei held his arms up defenselessly. "I-It's not like I caused all this weird stuff to happen! Sheesh..."

"Gohei, good to see you, my boy," said Daigu, while he stroked his long, white beard. "Tell me, is everything going well? How are the others? We've been starved for news since being imprisoned here. What has happened since we were captured?"

That was the question Gohei had been dreading to hear. He supposed that if it never came up, he wouldn't have to answer it and as such, he wouldn't have to recall what happened. With a sigh, he calmly willed himself to explain all that had happened while Tyla and Daigu were away. He first told them about his and Kain's trip to the Invaders ship yesterday prior to skipping ahead and informing them about what happened to Sarai and the others students when they had gotten back.

"T-That's horrible!" bellowed Tyla. She cupped her hands over her mouth and tried to fight back a stream of tears, losing out in the end. "T-They can't all be...! No!"

"I'm...sorry, Tyla," was all Gohei could think to say.

"Regrettable," mumbled Daigu quietly, placing his gaze to the floor. Gohei had been expecting a more emotional response from him, although he figured this was Daigu's way of showing grief. "Simply regrettable."

The one person who wasn't mourning at the moment was Elastro. "Hahaha! That's right! And you lot will be joining the rest of those losers soon enough! Therefore, you've no reason to cry any longer!"

Something snapped within Gohei after hearing this and without saying a word, he faced Elastro and started to power up. Elastro's Scouter then went haywire at the sight of the white, flame-like aura around the young warrior.

"T-Two thousand?! From **that** kid?! Impossible!" Elastro grabbed his Scouter and shook it like a madman. "T-This thing must be broken! Y-Yeah!"

"I may not be the strongest guy around..." Gohei declared, grinding the rows of his teeth against one another. "...but I'm damn sure strong enough to take care of **you**! And if you think I'm gonna stand around and let you talk about the others like that, you've got another thing coming!"

"H-Huh?! Is that...Gohei?!" said a flabbergasted Tyla.

Daigu nodded. "Though I do not know why, it appear he has gotten quite stronger since the last time we saw him."

Gohei flew right at Elastro, narrowly missing a right hook at the latter's jaw. The Invader cowered behind a chair momentarily, but the object was destroyed by another clenched fist which also created a massive hole in the ground on impact. Gohei followed this up with a tirade of attacks, yet Elastro simply stretched his body around to dodge, showing off his strange powers. The last attack Elastro managed to jump over and he retorted with a punch of his own, one that sent Gohei flying into a wall.

"Gohei!" Tyla gasped.

"Do not worry, Gohei would not go down that easily," said Daigu, nodding.

Proving his words true, Gohei gathered himself to his feet, wiping the rubble and debris away from him. He spat some blood to the floor and put his fists up to fight again, mostly unharmed despite Tyla's impression that most of his bones should have been broken. The sight of this made Elastro stumble back before tripping on his own foot.

"W-Whoa, whoa, whoa! Time out!" he screamed. "W-Why in the heck are you trying to beat me up so bad anyway?! What did I ever do to you?!"

"W-What?!" Gohei couldn't believe his ears. "Besides being an insufferable **jackass**, it's **your** fault that most of my friends are dead now! You're just lucky I found you first, because if Kain had been the one...well, I'd hate to see what he would have done!"

"Oh, scar-rrrrr-ry!" said Elastro with an air of sarcasm. "Tch! You've got a lot of nerve talking to one of Lord Icer's **Elite****s** like this! Those fools had it coming anyway for resisting Lord Icer's will like that! Hah! Serves them right!"

"Y-You...! YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Whatever self control Gohei had been exhibiting to this point was soon discarded. His hands rose up to his forehead and a yellow ball of energy formed in them post haste, its size doubling by the second. Before long, it was large enough to not only destroy Elastro, but the entire area along with it. "MASENKO-OOOOO-O!"

"W-Wait a minute, kid! Let's talk about...!"

It was far too late for any sort of compromise. The Masenko crashed onto the spot right in front of Elastro and the entire prison was nearly blow to bits, as a bright flash of yellow flooded the area. Tyla and Daigu, almost blown away, had to grab onto anything in sight to remain planted to the floor.

"W-Who is he trying to kill?! Us or that Elastro guy?!" Tyla screamed.

A thick cloud of smoke smoke dissipated, revealing a panting Gohei, who was squinting into the distance. If he had finished of Elastro, he couldn't tell.

"G-Gohei! What were you thinking?! You could have killed us all with that one!" Tyla shouted from the distance. Gohei's expression dropped at this and a lone bead of sweat fell down the side of his head.

"Well, I'm **sorry**!" he retorted sardonically. "Should I have just let him kill you then?!"

"Looks like you were trying to beat him to the punch!" said Tyla, her face reddening.

Gohei snarled under his breath. "I-Is nagging all you know how to do?! I just saved your life, didn't I?!"

"I-Is it nagging if I'm right?! And I didn't ask you to come here and save me! In fact, I was doing just fine on my own! I certainly wasn't nearly blown up by that Elastro go at least! Jeez, you're gonna end up flying away if your head swells with anymore hot air, Gohei!"

"A-Are you trying to say that Elastro has been treating you **better**?!" Gohei said in a disbelieving tone, his jaw wide open. "Y-You ungrateful...!"

"U-Ungrateful?!" Tyla looked even more upset, if that were even possible, as she stepped right up to Gohei and jabbed her finger onto his forehead. "Why should I be grateful for nearly being blown into a million pieces by a boy who has no self restraint?!"

"**B-Boy**?! Why I oughta...!"

While the two continued to argue at the top of their voices, Daigu prodded his cane around the cell he and Tyla had been trapped in before noticing that the bars had vanished. He inspected this fact, just as Tyla tossed a large rock at Gohei, and nodded. It seemed Gohei's last attack, while out of control, had managed to destroy the system that held the cell's bars in check. With nothing to stop him, he walked out into the open, something that drove a nose-to-nose Gohei and Tyla apart from one another.

"Good work, Gohei," said Daigu, petting his beard. "We have been freed."

"W-What?" It was only then that Tyla realized she had marched out of her cell to confront Gohei, something that would otherwise have been impossible if the bars were indeed still there. "O-Oh! Oh, o-of course! I-I guess we are free!"

"See, Tyla?!" cried Gohei. "Still think I don't know what I'm doing?!"

Tyla curled her lips into a frown. "Like you did this on purpose..."

Gohei blushed. He hadn't, but he had hoped to use the argument in his favor.

* * *

Without warning, a purple arm shot out from behind the group and wrapped itself firmly around Gohei's torso. As he searched around in wonderment, it proceeded to whip him about, repeatedly slamming him into the ground before finally tossing him high into the air. Tyla gasped as she watched this unfold, just as Elastro suddenly appeared, jumping up and stretching both his arms outward at his foe. Though shaken by the surprise attack, Gohei managed to catch both limbs under his arms and using Elastro's momentum against him, he tossed the Invaders straight into the ceiling prior to hitting the ground himself.

"M-Mommy..." groaned Elastro and he slid out of the imprint his body had made and hit the floor as well.

"G-Gohei!" Tyla dashed over to him with an air of concern. "Gohei! Say something!"

"A-Agh! M-My head!" Sitting up, Gohei put his hand on his temple and blinked a couple times. Again, Tyla was dumbfounded to see that he was barely harmed. "I-I'm okay...I think. Look, you and the old man better split, Tyla. I can take care of this guy, but it's going to be hard fighting if you guys stick around, unless you want me to almost blow you up again."

"N-No!" cried Tyla adamantly, so much so that Gohei stumbled back out of surprise. "We've already been separated before, so there's no way I'm leaving you again! What if something really bad happens to you this time?!"

"B-But, Tyla..."

"No buts! I'm staying and I don't care what you have to say!"

Having exhausted himself during their earlier argument, Gohei threw his hands up and admitted defeat immediately this time around. The most he could do was moan at her speech, just as Elastro wobbled to his feet. Tyla clutched on tightly to Gohei's arm and while he really did want her to flee to safety, her touch made a sense of security swell inside of him all of a sudden. They had been apart for so long that Gohei had honestly forgotten how comforting it was to have her around when she wasn't screaming his head off.

"D-Did anyone get the number on that bus?" Stumbling around, Elastro was still out of it. He only regained his senses when Master Daigu jabbed the ground with his cane. "W-What?! Oh, you guys! W-When did you get here?! Where am I?! What was I doing?!"

"Uh...you were just about to leave!" said Gohei, snapping his fingers. "That's right! You said you were packing your bags and leaving this planet forever! Take care now!"

"Bye bye!" said Tyla, waving her hand.

"Have a safe trip home," said Daigu, nodding his head.

Elastro smiled. "Oh! Okay! Well, I'll see you guys later then!" He was about to walk away when the reality of the scenario hit him. "WAIT A MINUTE!"

"Well, it was worth a try!" yelled Gohei, as he charged for Elastro again.

"Heh! Nice try, guys, but you can't get rid of me that easily!" chimed Elastro, following Gohei's lead.

* * *

Axel and Soyl had halted their battle for a short time, but as a strong gust of wind lept past Axel's face, he knew it wouldn't persist. Whether he liked it or not, he still had to fight. Neither of the two moved at first, both of them waiting for any type of movement to signal the beginning of their duel. A blade of grass twitched under Axel's foot and he watched the skies, as a flock of birds flew with haste toward the south, perhaps to get out of the way of what was to come. He took a deep breath at this and then closed his eyes. He found these actions calming and as he relaxed himself into a fighting stance, Soyl took this as the queue their short break was over.

"Here I come then, monkey!" the Namekian hollered

He got things going at once by extending both his arms twice their length in an effort to strangle the life out of his opponent. Axel didn't find the idea nearly as appealing and he grabbed hold of the limbs. They shoved him back against the dirt, but his bulging muscles applied pressure to Soyl's arms, enough to stop the latter's attack and cause him to cry out in pain. Axel then lifted him off of the ground before swinging him around and around. Soyl stopped himself from flying off like a comet after he was tossed away and he counter attacked with a gigantic, crimson beam from the palm of his hand. Axel allowed the surrounding nature to take the brunt of the attack in his stead when he jumped out of the way in time. He next leaped up to meet Soyl and the two thrust their elbows at the exact same time. The moment their blows collided, a shock wave reverberated and some lingering ostriches in the background fled from all the commotion. Sparks of energy then appeared, as the two leered in each other's direction. Seeing his chance, Soyl caught Axel off guard and nailed him in the shoulder with a pair of beams from his eyes. Axel, shouting out in anguish, was then unable to stop the following side kick from sending flying from the skies and into the dirt.

"You like that, monkey?!" Soyl yelled. He lifted his hands into the air and began unleashing Ki blast after Ki blast down toward the Earth. Bits and pieces of the Spinach Wastes flew everywhere, as Soyl continued this mad tirade for another minute or two. "And here's one more present for ya!"

He spawned a much larger ball of energy between his fingertips and he tossed it toward the spot where his opponent most likely lied in cinders. However, it stopped, or, as Soyl quickly found out, someone had stopped it. Axel made his presence known by lifting the sphere above his head and tossing it back at its owner. Soyl sidestepped it and the attack destroyed an area behind them, rather than one of them.

Soyl was almost incapable of speaking after what he had just seen. "Y-You...! To think you would put up such a fight!"

"I surprise myself sometimes." Axel hovered up to Soyl and ripped away the top part of his gi, since it had been burned beyond recognition anyway. Cuts and scratches covered every inch of his brown skin, yet he otherwise looked no worse for the wear. "Either you are still holding back on me, or I pegged you stronger than you actually are."

"Y-You cocky little...!" Soyl's nails dug into his flesh at the remarks. "Heh, still, I suppose I'll give you credit where credit is due, monkey! I never imagined a Saiyan would be able to put up this much of a fight against me!"

"...I do not have time for this. I have to check on my friends."

"Oh, don't you worry about them. You'll certainly be able to see them again in the next world!"

Axel was less than worried about Soyl's taunting because he was more worried with the reality he was already down to half of his total energy. If the fight persisted as it had been, he wondered if he would have enough left in the take to finish Soyl and go check up on Gohei and the others Spitting, Axel hoped they were doing alright, as he had the feeling he wouldn't be able to come and help them out anytime soon if they were indeed in trouble..

"The longer I drag this out, the more the battle goes in his favor," he said under his breath. "Let us end this with the next attack then!"

"Enough of this!" Soyl barked while holding his arms up. "Right, time for my **full** **power**!"

Just as Axel had expected, Soyl was holding back a great deal of power, though all that was about to change. Screaming at the top of his lungs, the Namekian began to power up and the moment he did, Axel realized he hadn't been bluffing in saying he was nowhere near his full power. The earth below Soyl cracked and crumbled and his aura parted the wind blowing past him like a knife through butter. Axel was then thrown back by a particularly nasty wave of Soyl's Ki, as the energy radiating about grew bigger and bigger. Finally, Soyl smirked at the fact his true power was finally revealed.

"Here! Let me show you why a monkey like you has no hope of beating me!"

A fist was driven straight into Axel's gut and blood spluttered out of his gaping mouth at once. He hadn't even seen Soyl move that time. Standing his ground, Axel landed a punch into the same spot on Soyl's body, garnering the same response. The two repeated this again and again, waiting to see which one of them would collapse first from the pain. When neither did so, they did the second best thing and punched one another across the face, knocking them both backward. They recovered at the same time, kicked off of the ground, and headed toward one another. Axel swung at Soyl, yet got nothing but air since the Namekian had jumped over him and used the opening to elbow him in the back of the head. Stopping himself, Axel employed the Ryunaru technique and returned the favor by slamming his knuckles into Soyl's teeth. The punch sent him spiraling back and as he did so, he fired off a wave of energy, with Axel launching off his own blast. Both attacks connected, but with differing results. Axel had been hit square in the chest, sending him flying back and crashing into a small mountain. This would have been fine and dandy with Soyl if it weren't for his right arm having been blasted clean off thanks to Axel's attack. Blood trickled off the wound and stained the grass, as Soyl fell to one knee.

"Agh! S-Son of a...!" he said, coughing up more purple blood.

Axel felt like he had been flattened by a truck, as he crawled out of the rocks on top of him. He glanced up at Soyl and saw the injury he had inflicted before making his way back over to his foe, who looked to be barely withstanding his anguish.

"I-I got careless!" Soyl admitted.

"I...as well," said Axel, red blood leaking down his forehead. His vision was coming in and out and his entire body wavered. He first thought Soyl might have taken more damage than him, but he was seeing just how wrong he was now. "D-Damn it! My body...feels heavy..."

"Heh, you aren't looking so good, monkey!" said Soyl with a laugh.

"Tch! You are one to talk!"

"You've got a point! However, an injury like this means nothing to me. You on the other hand, are out of luck!" Soyl replied.

"W-What? What are you talking about?" Axel declared. He certainly thought mending a missing arm was easier said than done. How was it then that Soyl seemed so confident in his words?

"Hmph! Answer my questions first!" Soyl barked. "When you fought against Plinto awhile back, there were reports that you became a...what do you monkeys call it...a **Super** **Saiyan**? I heard it was just some stupid legend you Saiyans liked to talk about, but you could imagine my surprise when I heard that someone had actually become one. So, I would like you to tell me if this is true. Are you a Super Saiyan?"

Super Saiyan. It was a term Axel was honestly growing tired of hearing. So what if he had become a Super Saiyan once before? Replicating it had been difficult, if not impossible, considering he had no idea how he had done it the first time. He knew even less about Super Saiyans than Soyl did, so what was he supposed to say in response?

"...I am not sure," he said after some deliberating. "I cannot answer you for sure."

"I knew it!" said Soyl, slouching a bit from his blood loss. "Indeed, if you could become this 'Super Saiyan' or whatever, you would have done so already during this fight! That's unfortunate. Here I was, ready to test my meddle against one of these 'Super Saiyans' too." With a smirk, he stated, "I highly doubt they're as strong as you Saiyans would like to believe."

"Are you done now?" Axel snapped. Why he had been increasingly annoyed by the talk, he had no clue. He simply felt as if Soyl were insulting a friend or a family member he wasn't familiar with.

"Yes, I'm done. Thanks for lending your ear!"

Soyl gave one tremendous yell and a thunderstruck Axel watched as an entire arm shot out of the stump where Soyl's old one used to be, drenched in blood. Stretching the new appendage, Soyl placed his other hand on his head and proceeded to laugh at the top of his lungs, breaking out into a fit.

"Y-You are so **stupid**!" Soyl said in between chuckles. "I have to thank you though! I needed some time to regenerate and you gave it to me just fine!"  
"N-No! I should have known you were up to something!" cried Axel, snarling. "No wonder you wanted to spark up a conversation out of nowhere! I had no idea Namekians could heal themselves in such a manner..."

"You didn't, did you? Hmph. How unfortunate. But I can say for certain that you Saiyans don't possess that sort of ability! Now then..."

It happened in the blink of an eye. Soyl had extended his arm at a weakened Axel and before he was able to stop it, the limb had successfully grasped around his neck. Pain shot throughout his entire body, while the pressure choking the air out of his lungs increased, along with the haughty smile Soyl was shooting him. With his hands flailing about to remove the arm and his eyes reddening from the lack of air, Axel slumped down to his side. He could do no more than make unintelligible grunts, silent pleas for his executioner to stop.

"What was that, monkey?!" bellowed Soyl, clearly enjoying the anguish he was dishing out. Madness gleamed in his eyes, causing Axel's own to enlarge. "Hmph! I guess it won't matter in a couple of moments after I break your neck!"

The color of Axel's face became a deep blue, as his vision started to fade. He was leaning on the realm of unconsciousness, but if he was deprived of oxygen for much longer, he would be more than out cold. He again attempted to remove Soyl's green limb from around his neck, digging his fingernails in as hard as he could to do so. However, it was a vain effort, considering he lacked the strength and the will. Everything around him became nothing more than a blur and the only sound his ears could perceive was that of Soyl's piercing laughter.

"Come on, monkey! Come on, **Super Saiyan**!" the Namekian howled in between his cackling. Wanting to answer, Axel's head merely slumped over. "Tch! And here I thought you would offer me more entertainment! Isn't there someone going to show up to save you then?! One of your friends perhaps?! No, no I don't think so!"

If Kain or Gohei or anyone else was going to show up, Axel doubted they would make it in time. Even if they did, he wasn't certain he wanted to face them in such a sorry state. He was letting them down by losing like this. He was letting everyone on Earth that had died at the hands of the Invaders down as well. He had promised to come here today and avenge them. How was it then that he himself was moments away from death's door? His own misfortune was so humorous to him, he found himself wanting to let out a chuckle. Perhaps in the afterlife he could contemplate his mistakes in this world and figure out what had gone wrong. That seemed to be his best recourse of action. That away, at least, he wouldn't have to bare apologizing to the others.

"This filthy planet...!" Soyl had evidently been in the middle of a rant, though Axel hadn't realized until this very moment, shifting what remained of his gaze the Namekian's way. "You think Lord Icer would really want this pathetic, waste of space?! You know, monkey, I was actually thinking about just blowing this place up myself and saving him the effort."

"N-No...!" It took everything in Axel's power to spit his displeasure with the idea out. "Y-You...can't!"

"Can't I though, monkey?! You're hardly in a position to stop me anyway! That's right! After I kill you, how about I take out your friends with my own hands before killing those prisoners, and then everyone else on this filthy rock?! Yes, do you like the sound of that, monkey?! I'm sure they'll all make lovely fireworks."

Something inside Axel snapped just then. He couldn't say what exactly. Maybe it had to do with Soyl threatening the lives of his friends, or perhaps it had more to do with the concept of allowing himself to lose the likes of someone like Soyl. Whatever the case, his near useless arms regained their strength and with them, he steadily began to remove the arm robbing him of life. His voice screamed behind a surge of power, while Soyl watched on with a stunned expression.

"W-What?! How are you even able to...?!"

The answer soon became evident. Still shouting, the whole of Axel's hair stood up on end and turned a golden-yellow hue. His eyes became a greenish-blue, while his muscles expanded nearly twice their usual size. The golden aura burning up around him suddenly was hot enough that Soyl removed his arm from Axel's neck of his own accord, his feet sliding back in a combination of surprise and sheer terror.

"W-W-What is this light?!" he exclaimed, shielding his eyes from it. His Scouter momentarily went haywire, producing a wild and random series of numbers before apparently giving up and instead exploding into a million pieces. "I-Impossible! H-His battle power has...!"

Super Saiyan Axel took a step forward and the dirt under his feet seemed to get out of his way, breaking apart at the force of his energy. He walked forward, producing similar results each time he planted his foot down and Soyl found an incomprehensible fear throb between his veins. He could hardly talk, let alone do anything to impede Axel's progress. Using his green eyes, Axel stared the Namek down as hard as he could, snarling just as acutely. It was if he were trying to strike him down with that glare alone.

"That is it, Soyl!" he declared, employing the same ireful tone he used with Plinto. "I am ending you and the rest of you Invader scum once and for all! You **will not** harm this planet any longer, do you hear me?!"

"I-I see now..." muttered Soyl. He miraculously managed to regain control of his wobbly legs and he tried his best not to look intimidated by Axel's sudden transformation. He was not convincing. "A Super Saiyan indeed. It looks like I was mistaken earlier. No wonder Plinto stood no chance against you. However...!" His courage seemed to be coming back in waves and as he grinned, Soyl yelled, "You don't scare me, Super Saiyan! A monkey is still a monkey, after all!"

Axel either didn't hear Soyl or he chose not to reply to the insult. All he did was continue to gaze at Soyl as if he were the lowest form of life possible. It was almost like the Namekian himself had been the one insulted by his own remark and balling his fingertips, his fleeting air of calm and confidence blew away with the wind.

"What? What?! Did I break your wind pipe?! Have you forgotten how to speak, monkey?! Regress back to your primal instincts, did you?!" he said, so loudly that the few remaining ostriches in the Spinach Wastes hastily scattered away in fear. Even so, Axel did not say anything more. "Tch! You think you're **better** than me, don't you?! You think just because your this so called 'Super Saiyan', you're somehow going to win against me now?! Your arrogance is laughable!"

"My arrogance?" said Axel plainly. "You do realize you are only in this mess because of your pride, Soyl? You ran your mouth and now this is the price you have to pay! I pity you. I truly do. Forced to waste your existence as a slave to your 'Lord Icer', forced day after day to do his bidding. You are like a robot, are you not? You have no free will, Soyl. While I may be a monkey, I am a free monkey. You, on the other hand, are nothing but a tool."

"Y-You...you...YO-OOOOOO-OU!"

Blood vessels burst in both of Soyl's eyeballs and they became the most vibrant shade of crimson. He mirrored a sort of demon at the moment. Veins then sprouted up on his arms and legs, as he started to power up to the best of his ability. While the ground didn't shake nearly as violently as when Axel became a Super Saiyan, it gave a good tremor at Soyl's Ki and without delay, he flew at Axel with his arm extended. He was going to strangle the life out of the Super Saiyan if it was the last thing he did. Axel showed no signs of defending himself and remained where he was, the golden aura pulsating around him intensely.

"I'm a slave, you say?! No free will?! Tell me then, monkey, Is it by my own free will that I kill you here today, or am I being controlled from afar?! You can decide in the next world!"

The hand that was supposed to wrap its slimy fingers around Axel was instead stopped within its expected victim's hand. Doing so had been a simple matter for Axel. Using the same casual flick of the wrist, he threw his fist straight into Soyl's stomach. The latter half near spat out every vital organ in his body, but instead spat out a good amount of his own blood. Another blow hit him in the face and rocketed him half way across the battlefield. He crashed against a sizable piece of rock, kept sailing past that, and found himself sprawled out on the grass moments later. A pink ostrich was staring him dead in the face, interested in what all the noise in the area had been about. He quickly swatted it aside, just as Axel landed some feet in front of him.

"D-Dammit!" Soyl said with white hot anger. "You stupid...!"

He was unable to finish his insult because Axel had driven his knee straight into the side of the Namekian's skull. He again went sailing like a kite, this time managing to break his fall by flipping off the ground. Even this proved futile, as Axel had already been standing behind him before he even thought to act. The Super Saiyan then grabbed an unsuspecting Soyl's arm, gave yet another mighty blow to his stomach, and then finally tossed him away. He then held his arms out and a large sphere of orange Ki appeared.

"Ryuho!"

The energy wave would have vaporized Soyl if it weren't for him sidestepping it at the last possible second. He had not come out unharmed, however. While the Ryuho sailed passed him and then vanished, Axel saw that Soyl's left arm and leg had been blasted clean off. Unable to fly by his own weight, the Namekian crashed into the ground and began writhing around in pain. A shadow then loomed above him. He glanced his pain stricken eyes up to Axel, who held his palm down over him, ready to blow him to bits now that he couldn't do so much as move.

"D-Do it then!" Soyl bellowed, clutching the place where his missing arm was. "Come on, monkey! Kill me then! You said you were going to make me pay, right?!"

It seemed as if Axel were seriously deliberating doing so. The Ki in his hands grew steadily bigger as he did and Soyl realized that it would easily end his existence if it was unleashed upon him. Eventually though, Axel stayed his hand and for whatever reason, he turned away from Soyl. The Namekian watched him begin to trot off without a word, his own expression wracked with fury.

"A-And where the hell do you think you're going?!" he demanded, as he hacked up even more purple blood. "Huh?! Get back here!"

Axel stopped in his tracks. Though Soyl had wanted Axel to do this very thing, he found himself unable to speak when he did. The dark-skinned youth gradually shifted to Soyl and his features quietly warned his opponent not to try anything funny.

"...I have no desire to kill you," said Axel in the same deadpan voice.

"Y-You **what**?!"

"I have no wish to kill you anymore, Soyl. There is no point in me taking your life. As such, I am leaving. As I stated before, I wish to check on my companions. I will allow you to keep your wretched life, Soyl, as long as you leave this planet the moment I leave. I would also suggest you leave Icer's service immediately and to cast away your life of evil. I hope that we never meet again, for your sake at least."

"Y-You think you can just **leave**?!" said Soyl indignantly. The speech Axel was spewing out of his mouth was by far the most audacious thing he had ever heard. He tried to stand, though missing an entire leg caused him to instantly crumple back down to the ground. "You think...I **want** your pity?! You think I want pity from a **Saiyan**?! Don't make me laugh! You're a fool, Super Saiyan and you haven't not won this fight yet! Have you forgotten about my ability to regenerate my limbs already?! Ha! I'll be up and at it again in no time and then I will show you how foolish your words **really** are!"

"...I am only going to warn you one more time, Soyl," said Axel calmly. He closed his eyes and tried to pretend he hadn't just heard the rant coming from his pitiful foe. "Take your friends and get off of this planet. I again say I have no wish to kill you You can regenerate all you want too, but I will simply defeat you again. Now then, I think I will be going."

Like earlier, Axel started off toward the ship without another word. Soyl attempted going after him, reduced to crawling across the grass from a lack of limbs and energy. Despite his boasts, he was in no condition to fight, even if he did regrow his lost arm and leg. This should have been a fair warning to him to back off or retreat even as suggested. Rather, he willed himself to his lone knee, while snarling angry at Axel's back.

"I-I will **not** sit here and allow this injustice to go on!" he bellowed. "I **do not** surrender to inferior opponents! DO YOU HEAR ME, SAIYAN?!"

His rage getting the better of him, Soyl launched off gigantic wave of red Ki using the last of his energy. His features warped with madness at the concept of Axel being blown to pieces by what he was assured was the final blow. The blast had been moments away from colliding with Axel, but he turned around to face it with a look of disappointment before launching an energy wave of his own. His much larger one went right through Soyl's and the Namekian could do nothing more than watch on, as his existence was wiped off the face of the earth. Axel's blast continued forward, eventually dissipating after having streaked across the entirety of the Spinach Wastes and beyond. He kept his hand outstretched for a few more seconds in its wake prior to sitting up and shaking his head.

"Fool," he stated under his breath. As there was no one to impede his path any longer, he departed the battlefield, not looking back once to where Soyl's cowering form had been.

END

* * *

A/N: So, there's another one in the books. I apologize for taking forever to upload this chapter. I've been swamped with work and I just got more hours, however, I promise not to take so longer uploading the next chapter. Expect more Kain in the next chapter as well...


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Kain wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up. He dodged another one of Lilma's punches and it shattered the spot where he had been standing seconds before. She gave him no time to rest, as she let loose a flurry of punches aimed at his head. Kain, already gasping for air, began shifting his body around to dodge them, but one eventually got through, landing clean on the left side of his chest. While he had managed to avoid a fatal blow, Lilma's attack was enough that he stumbled back, giving her the opportunity to land her kneecap into his stomach. Blood trickled out of his mouth and for a moment, he noted he was unable to breathe. Some of his ribs had been broken by that blow. Lilma, showing no remorse, elbowed Kain as hard as she could into the ground, and only because the concrete flooring so was thick, it spared him flying right through the bottom of the ship. Reaching into the large crater, Lilma snatched him out of it before slamming her knuckles into his jaw. His nose had been broken into pieces this time around. She watched him curiously, as the bottom part of his face was dyed red with blood, leering at him with her lips curled.

"And here I thought you would be a little more fun that this," she said, sighing. She lifted him up by the end of his shirt to get a closer look at him. "Still, at least I've shut you up for the time being. No funny quips anymore, eh?"

Kain spat a large glob of blood at her. "H-Hard to talk with a couple cracked ribs...doll face."

Lilma's eyes rolled to the spot where Kain's blood was rolling down her cheek. The sight of it caused her to head butt Kain with such force, the pupils in his eyelids vanished. He was thrust back and his body skidded quite a number of times against the hard flooring, then finally coming to a stop behind a tremendous crash. Opening her palm, Lilma quietly fired off a massive, purple energy wave. It detonated where Kain resided and the wind from it blew her long, curly hair about for a few moments. She found herself shrugging at her own actions, obviously disappointed Kain had become such an easy opponent because of her Zenkai. She had hoped he would have at least been even with her, though now that he was dead, she saw that she was wrong.

"Hmph. Pretty weak for someone with such a big mouth," she stated matter-of-factly.

"That's how you feel, huh?! Well, allow me to put my money where my mouth is!"

Lilma quickly glanced upward to see Kain coming down on her with his arm shrouded in orange Ki. He directed his Cho Ryu Upper right at her, but she leaped out of the way just in time. However, Kain had seen this coming. He bounced off of the ground at an unsuspecting Lilma, landing his attack dead center in her chest. Spinning, she flew back into a wall and Kain, too exhausted to chase after her, instead held his arms out and his hands open.

"Suck on this!" he cried before launching off Ryuho after Ryuho. The area was bathed in orange-colored light and a thick cloud of smoke was created by the Ki. Kain kept at it for as long as he could, buckling under the pain of his wounds ultimately. "A-Alright! That should have finished her off for good! Tch! That's for breaking my nose!"

Kain's celebration was short lived. He gave out a loud "What?!" at the sight of Lilma's figure emerging from the clearing dust. Other than a crack in her armor where Kain's Cho Ryu Upper had connected, so appeared no worse for the wear, actually smirking at Kain with her hands on her hip. She then blew a raspberry with her tongue at him.

"Fuu, fuu, fuu! Nice try, loser!" she bellowed, as she gave off a haughty series of chuckles to add to her taunting. "Next time, make sure I'm dead before you start counting your eggs!"

"H-Huh?!" said Kain in return. His arms dropped to his sides, but it wasn't because they were tired. "D-Dammit, I should have seen that coming. I could still sense her Ki..."

"You wanna try anything else?" she asked, gesturing a yawn.

Kain's eyelid jerked some. "W-What was that, you little...!"

But he lowered his fists once he realized Lilma was gone. No matter where he searched, he could find no trace of her and he couldn't help but wonder if she had been a figment of his imagination the entire time. The theory proved to be incorrect though when she suddenly slammed her elbow down on the top of his head. His tongue shot out of his mouth, as the bone shattering blow knocked him off his feet. For a few moment, he didn't move an inch, Lilma surveying him all the while. Tired of waiting, she again grabbed him by the end of his tank top and moved his face closer to hers. He seemed unconscious.

"Come on, that was a love tap!" she said, waving her arms around in a tantrum. "H-Hey! Wake up already! I'm not done beating you up yet!"

Kain had been feigning sleep and Lilma fell into his trap hook, line, and sinker. Kicking off of her, he launched off a point blank Ki blast that hit her straight on. He then followed this up by using the Ryunaru technique, flipping backward, and the rushing at her at full speed. By the time she recovered and saw what was going on, it was too late. An elbow of his own slammed into her with the force of a wrecking ball and the stunned look to her features as she was struck said more than enough about its effect on her. The two of them separated and Kain, unable to control himself, rolled around on the floor before stopping.

"A-Agh! My back!" he howled. He wasn't certain if that attack had caused more damage to him or Lilma. Glancing at her unmoving form, he muttered, "Don't get up! Don't get up! Don't get up! **Please**, don't get up!"

Lilma emitted a low groan and despite Kain's pleas, she did indeed get on her feet once more. Zenkai or not, that last blow **had** affected her, unlike Kain's earlier efforts. She wobbled around, her legs feeling like wet noodles, and nearly toppled over again, as Kain too struggled to regain his footing. The two merely glanced at one another without speaking. Then, they disappeared behind high speed movement at the same time. They took their battle to the air and for a short while, they seemed to be about even. They only glanced one another using their fists, yet Kain soon found himself outmatched. Lilma caught one of his punches and turned his arm in a direction human bones were never meant to go. He howled in pain, as she applied more and more pressure, readying to snap his limb like a twig. He did the first thing that came to him and in a loud and strained voice, he spoke.

"Y-You're mascara is running!"

Kain watched as Lilma's features contorted in a rather strange manner. It was as if she had just been told one of her close friends had died. She immediately released Kain, cried out in horror, and reached for something on her person. Kain held his nearly broken arm and leered back at her; a bead of sweat dropped down the side of his face.

"A-Agh! No, and I spent so much time putting on my makeup for this!" Lilma cried, holding a small, rectangular mirror up to her eyelids. She quickly found out, however that her makeup was not running at all. "H-Huh?! H-Hey! What are you...!"

The idea of playing such a dirty trick on his opponent didn't quite sit well with Kain. Too bad he was ignoring his morals this time around, as he got a glimpse of Lilma's humorous reaction.

"Sorry, doll face," he said with a smirk. "Had to get you to let me go somehow."

Lilma pressed her lips together as hard as she could in anger. "T-That wasn't very fair!"

"Says the lady trying to break my arm like a twig."

"Oh, that's **it**!" she boomed, Kain having to cover his ears. "I'm through playing around! I was going to let you try to fight me for a little while longer before I moved on to your friends, but you're really getting on my nerves, mister!"

"Heh, do you worst!"

Kain understood that taunting her did little more than ensure his own demise, but he couldn't have cared less. If he was going to die here today, he figured he could at least have a little fun before then. On the other hand, he knew he had only come here to the Invader's ship in the first place because he had promised to avenge Sarai and all of Master Daigu's students. If he did end up dying here without even taking Lilma with him, he was positive neither he or them would be able to rest in peace.

"Right, I almost forgot about that," he started, grinning for no reason in particular. He supposed the blood loss from his broken nose and the repeated blows he had received were starting to affect his brain. "Guess I better come up with something then..."

Enraged from being tricked, Lilma flew toward Kain with murderous eyes. Her anger had apparently increased her speed, since Kain was unable to follow with her movements even more. He was slugged across the face and as his feet planted themselves on the ground to break his fall, he decided to throw all caution to the wind.

"Ryu...Ryukage!"

A flash of golden light brightened everything momentarily prior to two exact duplicates spawning on each side of him. The five Kains charged into attack, while Lilma scowled, blowing one of her bangs out of her eyes.

"Not this again," she muttered.

The army of Kains encircled Lilma and went on the offensive. As she yawned again and rubbed her eyes, her aggressors gasped at the fact they were unable to land even a single hit on her. Yesterday, she had no answer for the Ryukage, but today, it was proving utterly to be ineffective. She smacked aside two of the clones very easily with the back of her hand before blasting the remainder away just as casually. Their smoldering bodies sailed toward the ground and the Kains all piled on top of one another before reforming into a single being. The original Kain stood, feeling drained and completely out of energy this time.

"Damn, that technique cuts my energy in half," he panted. "No wonder she was able to toss us around so easily."

"Anything else?" said Lilma, floating in front of her with her arms cross. The smile plastered across her face was enough to make Kain vomit. "Come on. Don't you have anymore techniques you want to bust out?"

"Tch! You're really asking for it, you know that?!"

"Huh? Are you getting upset? Can't take what you dish out then?!"

Kain growled beneath his breath. "J-Just keep talking, doll face! Keep it up!"

Seeing Kain get so upset was more than Lilma could ask for. Even as he began charging a Ryuho in the palms of his hands, she merely beamed at him. This alone made him even more irate and as a vein pulsed on his forehead, he made his blast three times bigger. He was pouring the rest of his Ki into the Ryuho, but he knew it wouldn't matter. Once Lilma's smug face was hit by it, he was certain the battle would be over.

"Let's see you talk shit after this!" he bellowed.

"Is that a challenge? Here, let me show you **my** blast!"

Lilma got back a good distance before mirroring the pose Kain had taken. The purple blast she was creating also looked just like Kain's Ryuho and he quickly got the message that she was trying to outdo him. The two blasts erupted off their respective owners hands and a shock wave generated by the energy waves crashing into one another made a tremor go throughout the round ship. Both attacks fought fiercly, with neither one gaining a definite advantage, mirroring two scales with similar weights. Kain held out as long as he could, not wanting to lose to the likes of Lilma and recalling that he was placing the outcome of the battle into this. Lilma, on the other hands, looked absolutely ecstatic to be battling so fiercely. Just as she had been ready to give up on Kain, he was now making her exert some effort.

"Haha! That's right! Just like that!" she shouted.

"Tch! S-She's actually **enjoying** this!" Kain said, his jaw dropping. "C-Crazy chick!"

As Lilma smirked, her energy wave grew nearly twice in size and Kain realized she had been holding back thus far to keep things interesting. Her Ki began overtaking his, pushing him back against the ground as it did. He slammed his teeth together and poured whatever else he had left in the tank into his Ryuho. It was effective, as his blast now matched the size of Lilma's and the two were even once more.

Lilma gasped and said, "W-Whoa! I didn't think he still had that much energy left!"

"Tch! As if I could...lose to you!" Kain shouted at the top of his lungs, causing his Ryuho to push on ahead, to the point Lilma was barely holding it back. "Chew on this!"

"H-Hwah?!"

Kain had given one more push and in doing so, his Ryuho managed to punch right through Lilma's energy. Taken by surprise, she was only able to brace herself and the Ryuho charged forward, blasting a hole through the ceiling of the room and becoming a twinkle in the skies as it disappeared. The effort left Kain totally drained and he collapsed down on one knee after finding his legs unwilling to support his weight.

"N-No more!" he gasped. Sweat dripped off his head profusely and he was having trouble dealing with his lung's demand for fresh air. "Sheesh! I've never had to go all out like that before in my entire life! Master Daigu's training sessions look like child's play in comparison! Heh, I don't know whether to be mad she pushed me that far, or pleased that I got to experience such a fight..."

"H-How about neither?!"

Kain cracked his head against the floor, not caring if he killed himself in the process, for the person that had just issued that angry remark was none other than Lilma. With one eye closed, she glared at him with the working one and stumbled forward. Kain's Ryuho had battle damaged her greatly, with her armor all but broken and her skin looking as if she had stepped through an oven a couple of times. She hobbled over to him, clutching her right arm. Neither of the two looked in any shape to fight any longer and just as Kain had stood to defend himself, she toppled face first into the ground at his feet.

"I-I can't move anymore..." her muffled voice declared.

"Heh, that makes two of us then..." Kain fell the opposite way onto his back, laughing all the while. "Screw you, lady. I really hate your guts, you know that?"

Lilma managed to sit up and she frowned, replying, "I wouldn't call you my most favorite person in the world either, loser."

Kain chuckled again. "Look, while I had fun fighting you, I think I'm done for today."

"...While I hate to agree, s-so am I. I don't think I could lift a finger if I wanted to..."

Neither of them said anything to one another for the longest time. It might have had something to do with the fact that they were simply too worn out to move their mouths. Just as suddenly as this silence had come over them, both Kain and Lilma sluggishly got to their feet. They eyed one another cautiously and the simultaneously held their arms up in a gesture that suggested they were ready to go another round.

"And what the hell do you think you're doing?" said Kain between breaths.

"I-I could ask you the same thing!" Lilma shot back.

"Tch! You're in no condition to be fighting anyone after that last blast, doll face."

"Heh, maybe, but I bet I'll last longer than you, loser!"

"Is that a bet?!"

Not wanting to waste his time arguing with her any longer, Kain prepared to knock Lilma out once and for all. However, an incredible Ki nearby made him lose the feeling in his arms and legs he barely had to begin with. He searched around in a panic, under the assumption one of Lilma's allies had showed up to assist her, yet he saw no one around but the two of them.

"W-Wait a sec!" he said upon understanding something. "T-That Ki belongs to **Axel**! What the hell?! How in the hell did he get so strong?!"

"W-What are you going on about?" said Lilma, her eyebrow heightened. As her Scouter had been destroyed thanks to Kain's Ryuho and she being unable to read Ki, she could not detect the energy belonging to Super Saiyan Axel.

"Oh man, I don't know what he did to get power like that, but something tells me the guy he's facing is going to be toast!"

"Seriously, what **are** you talking about?!" cried Lilma. She flailed her arms around testily, as if doing so would cause Kain to loosen his tongue. "Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

Kain shielded his eardrums. "W-Would you shut up?! I don't know what's going on either! Why don't you mind your own business?!"

"W-What did you say?!" Lilma scowled at him as hard as she could, stamping her foot against the ground while she did so. "Don't take that tone with me, mister!"

"W-What?! Oh my God, you are by far the **craziest** lady I've ever met!"

"**C-Crazy**?! O-oooo-oh! You've got a lot of nerve!"

The two kept at it for awhile and their voices echoed about. They were so focused on one another, they didn't even notice someone else walk into the room. A white cape fluttered behind the new individual, while he emitted a grunt to get everyones attention.

"Am I interrupting something?" said the intruder plainly.

Spit was flying everywhere between Kain's and Lilma's face, but they stopped arguing long enough to see Piccolo standing in front of them. His eyes peered at the two of them together curiously. From all the noise, he had expected them to be beating the life out of one another when he arrived, not the mostly verbal conflict he had seconds ago stumbled upon.

"P-Piccolo...?" Kain hadn't expected him back anytime soon, so him showing up here like this was quite the surprise. "W-What are you doing here? Can't ya see I'm busy?!"

"Hmph. Busy wasting time," said Piccolo, smirking.

"W-What was that?! I-I was just...!"

"I don't care what you two were doing, but I thought you said something about avenging all those people that died back there, Kain."

Kain grit his teeth some. "I-I know that! I told you, I don't need the likes of you lecturing me! While I'm glad you didn't go back on your promise of coming back, I don't have time to argue with you! I've still gotta take out the trash over here!"

Not replying, Piccolo shifted his focus to Lilma, who was glaring at him hard enough to burn a hole through his head. Kain noticed this as well and remembered that she didn't seem to be too fond of Namekians in the same way Soyl despised Saiyans. He had a feeling their respective hatreds had something to do with one another, considering they hadn't exactly been the best of friends the last time he saw them together.

"You...!" she said in a calm tone. She was trying to contain herself, yet the blood burning in her veins grew even hotter the more Piccolo returned her stare. "Y-You're the green bastard that cut off my precious tail yesterday!"

"That's right," Piccolo answered. If he had any regrets about doing what he was accused of, he wasn't showing it. "You looked like you didn't need it anymore, so..."

"B-Bastard!"

This was an entirely different Lilma than Kain was accustomed to. Though she had been incredibly hotheaded while fighting him, her anger had reached a new plateau with Piccolo. She showed no signs of having used up all her energy and leaped headfirst into the thick of battle. Piccolo moved his head around to dodge a series of high speed punches and his expression was more annoyed than alarmed by the sudden attack. Lilma added a variety of other attacks to her assault, including kicks and elbows, but no matter what she dished out, Piccolo was able to avoid it all. Finally growing tired, he stopped one of her punches by grabbing her arm out of the air. She grimaced when he applied pressure to it, reducing her to one knee. He then slammed his green knuckles into her stomach before landing a spinning kick against her jaw. Kain watched on, awestruck, as her body flew backward like a ball out of a cannon. She let out a number of coughs, hacking up her own blood as she did so. That last counter attack was one Kain had barely been able to see. He rubbed his eyes to make sure nothing was wrong with them, then glancing at Piccolo, who was wiping off his clothing.

"M-Man, h-how did he move so fast?!"

"D-Damn it!" Lilma was again defying all odds by standing. Red blood trickled down her lips and black lines were wrapped around her eyelids. "L-Like I'd lose to a Namekian!"

"You're not beating my speed," Piccolo declared, cracking his knuckles as he talked.

"Oh yeah?! Let's see how fast you are then!"

Lilma cocked her hand behind her back, formed a large ball of purple Ki, and then promptly launched it off with a crazed visage. Disappearing before it hit him, Piccolo ended up behind Lilma and using a swift chop to the neck, he brought her to her knees. She attempted to sweep him off his feet, but he merely jumped and answered with a kick to her jaw. She went flying back again and while she did, he placed his two green fingers to his forehead. Kain watched as Piccolo steadily gathered energy, enough energy to take care of Lilma once and for all. By the time she had recovered, his next technique was already locked and loaded.

"Makankosappo!" he shouted. A thin beam of yellow Ki, surrounding by a coiling band of purple Ki, then fired from his fingertips and at Lilma at a speed even Kain found himself unable to keep up with.

"H-Huh?! What is...?!"

Lilma managed to get out of the way in time, yet the beam managed to slam into the left side of her battle armor, destroy it instantly. The spot where it made contact was burned badly and grabbing the spot, Lilma shot Piccolo the nastiest look she could. He was indifferent to it, however.

"Y-You son of a bitch!" she barked, wanting to topple over from the pain.

"Not bad. You actually managed to dodge," said Piccolo. He held his hand up in a manner that told Lilma he was about to launch off another Makankosappo. "That one moves at the speed of light, which means you're even faster. Still, I highly doubt you could dodge another."

"T-Try me then!" said Lilma. She was bluffing though. Even she realized that attempting avoiding another with her injuries was a death sentence.

"W-Why the hell is she being so stubborn?" said Kain to himself. He didn't get it at all. She really would die if she kept shooting her mouth like this, so what was the point of going on like this? "D-Damn, even I know when to throw in the towel when I have to..."

Piccolo stated, "I'll hold you to your word. Don't say I didn't warn you, however."

It took some time, but Piccolo managed to ready another Makankosappo. Kain couldn't help but notice how slow this particular move was to prepare, although Lilma wasn't in any sort of state to stop him regardless. Living up to his promise, Piccolo fired off his attack without the slightest hint of remorse. However, Kain suddenly felt compelled to move his body and just as the energy beam would have claimed Lilma's life, he slammed himself into her, knocking them both out of harm's way. Piccolo, lowering his hand, had an expression of surprise on his normally sullen face at this.

"W-What the...?" he muttered, while seeing Kain and Lilma attempt to untangle themselves from one another.

"W-What's the big idea?!" cried Lilma, as she managed to push Kain off of her.

"I just saved your life, toots!" Kain yelled back. "You should be thanking me!"

"W-Well...!" For once, Lilma was honestly at a loss for words. "W-Why in the world would you want to save me in the first place?! Did you hit your head or something?!"

A different voice then proclaimed, "That's...what I want to know."

Both Kain and Lilma cried out in shock at the same time when they found Piccolo bearing down at them. They hadn't so much as seen him move from the spot he was, let alone get close to them like this. He leered at Kain in particular, thinking he could perhaps get an explanation from his features alone.

"P-Piccolo..." Kain said in almost a whisper.

"What are you doing? Did you forget the reason you came here?" declared Piccolo. His stone-like mannerisms had returned and it was hard for Kain to tell which of the two he wanted dead more: he or Lilma.

"N-No, it's just...!"

Kain really wasn't sure why he had done what he did. He turned his head to Lilma, who continued to eye him cautiously. They had been bitter enemies all this time, yet when saving her, he had abruptly decided that he didn't want to see her die. Of course, informing Piccolo of this seemed to be the last thing he wanted to do. Chances were, he would get his neck snapped in two for his trouble.

Piccolo sighed and closed his eyes. "What do you want to do with her then?"

"Eh?" Kain sat up at the question, his eyes shooting from Lilma to Piccolo. "Uh..."

"E-Excuse me!" Lilma declared. "Don't **I** get a say in this?! No one said I was throwing in the white flag, so...!"

"Just shut it already!" yelled Kain impatiently, actually caused an awestruck Lilma to do so. "You know damn well that you ain't beating this guy here! You've got two choices, doll face: either get the hell out of here while you can or die to this guy! I ain't gonna warn you again and I damn well ain't gonna save you again if you decide to do something stupid!"

"H-Hey now! Y-You can't give me orders like that, you...you...!"

Lilma had lost this one. She tried her best to appear upset with her conditions, but despite this, Kain could have sworn for a split second a look of utter gratitude had flashed across her pretty face. She had to keep up the act though; she couldn't allow Kain to know her true feelings. Flailing her arms about, she continued to pout and complain to the best of her abilities, while Kain took this as a queue to burst out in a tirade of chuckles.

"I-It's not funny!" she said, blushing heavily. "What are you laughing at?!"

"N-Nothing. Forget it." Kain caught his breath, took a seat next to Lilma, and abruptly became completely serious. "Okay, it's like I said. You don't really seem to be like a bad person..."

"She's been trying to destroy your planet for a solid week and she even turned into a Great Ape to kill you and your friends," interrupted Piccolo.

"I-I know that, but...still!" Kain attempted to ignore Piccolo's warning, though it **did** have some truth to it. "L-Listen!" he said, facing Lilma again. "Like I said, you don't really seem to be a **bad** person, so we'll let you off scot free today! All you gotta do is turn around and leave right now! We'll pretend we didn't see you if someone asks!"

"W-Why should I agree to such a shameful thing?!" said Lilma. "You might as well go ahead and kill me then!"  
"Why do you have be so stubborn?! I'm trying give you a second chance here!"

"Who said I asked for that?! Who says I just won't come back and kill you all for this?!"

Piccolo snorted in a way that showed he agreed with the remark, but Kain paid it no mind.

"B-Because I have a feeling you **won't** want to do that!" he replied, growing somewhat tired of arguing the subject. "L-Look, I'll fight you again later, after we've both gotten stronger! Until then though..."

"Oh, I'll get stronger alright!" said Lilma fiercely, with fire raging in her eyes. "And** next time**, I'm going to beat you black and blue!"

"That's what I like to hear!" said Kain cheerfully. He then asked Piccolo, "Say, do you have anymore of those Senzu things?"

Reaching into his clothing, Piccolo pulled out a brown sack full of Senzu and wordlessly tossed one of the beans to Kain. It was devoured in an instant and Lilma gave out a cry of total surprise at Kain jumping around as if he hadn't just taken the beating of his life. He gleefully tossed out a few jabs to make sure he was indeed one hundred percent before grinning as hard as he could.

"Gotta love those things!" he said to Piccolo. "Oh, give her one to."

"Excuse me?" Piccolo frowned. He had half expected to hear something like this sooner or later, but he could still hardly believe Kain was behaving so foolishly. "You sure about that? Like she said, you might end up regretting it later."

"I'm sure, I'm sure! Just do it!"

Without another complaint, Piccolo threw a Senzu over to Lilma, who merely stared at the green bean in the palm of her hand. Kain motioned for her to eat it and though hesitant, she remembered what it had done for him before trying it out herself. The cuts and bruises covering her body slowly faded away almost instantly. She pressed her hands up to her cheeks in shock, as even the best medical machines at the Invader's disposal couldn't hold a candle to the Senzu.

"W-Wow!" she proclaimed. "A-All my injuries healed just like that! I see now how you guys were able to come here and fight again so soon now..."

"About that," said Kain, inching closer to her. "I have to ask you something. Were you one of the people that attacked a group of people yesterday?"

The look on Lilma's face basically told Kain all he needed to know. The event in question left her thinking for a moment. Then, something came to her.

"No, that wasn't me," she said plainly. "I was busy recovering from our fight yesterday, so I can assure you I had no part in that. That was Kidnel."

"Kidnel?"

"Yeah, he's the other guy I work with. Four of us came to Earth to head this invasion: Plinto, that Soyl bastard, Kidnel, and yours truly!"

"The last General then," mumbled Kain, more to himself than to Lilma. "I see."

"Yeah, Kidnel was the one that ordered the raid on those Earthlings after getting tipped off by that sniveling coward Elastro," she explained behind an air of honesty. Kain knew she was telling the truth. "For some reason, he went personally. Were those your friends that he went after?"

Kain chose not to reply. No, he wouldn't have had the resolve to answer even if he wanted to. The image of Sarai, dying within his own arms, lingered in his thoughts even now. It was like the event in question had just happened moments ago; he could picture it so vividly. Thinking about it all was the last thing he wanted to do as such and sensing this, Lilma dropped the subject, got to her feet, and began to walk away from both Piccolo and Kain.

"Where are you headed?" asked Kain.

"Don't worry about it," was Lilma reply, still not facing him. "I'll accept your mercy for today, but if we meet again, don't think for a second I'd hesitate in killing you."

Kain shrugged and smiled. "Heh, way to show your gratitude! Fine. Do whatever you want. It's not any of my business anyway."

"Hmph. See you later..."

"Kain," said Kain once he saw that Lilma had stammered off.

"Kain. Whatever. I'll see you later then."

"Yeah, later."

The two found themselves gazing at one another for the first time not out of hatred, but out of respect. They were no longer enemies, but rivals. Lilma gave him one final affectionate wink before flying out of the gaping hole in the ceiling and out of sight. Without really thinking about it, Kain began to wave her off.

"I didn't know you could be so sweet," said Piccolo, cracking a smirk.

Kain's cheeks swelled with blood again. "S-Shut up!"

"Hmph. I won't criticize your decision. I'll simply warn you to watch out for her in the future. Being a Saiyan, she may become one of your greatest enemies."

"Jeez, all you do is nag people to death, huh?!"

"...We had best check on Gohei. He could probably use our help," said Piccolo, ignoring the comment.

"Huh? That squirt? Yeah, I was starting to get worried about him too. I felt his Ki from all the way over here, so I take it he's fighting someone."

"Come on. We better hurry," said Piccolo.

For the first time in Kain's memory, he heard a tangent of concern in the Namekian's voice. Was he really that worried about Gohei? Was there something wrong that only he was aware of? Now completely alerted, Kain nodded at Piccolo's words and hurried in the direction he could sense Gohei's energy radiating from. He wouldn't be much of a teacher of he allowed his newest prodigy to die on him already.

* * *

Gohei, sneezing out of the blue, rubbed his nose and searched around. Someone, somewhere, was talking about him. He didn't know how or why, but he just knew. The prospect certainly was flattering, though it nearly made him forget about the predicament he was currently in. He was forcefully dragged back into reality when Elastro's knuckles were driven straight into his jaw, sending him flying toward the ground. Gohei rebounded off it and charged headfirst for his foe. Narrowly missing a head butt, he and Elastro battled it out in the air. For someone that acted like a fool, Gohei couldn't help but notice how well the Invader fought when he was completely serious. It was almost like dealing with a totally different person in his opinion, one who's tenacity was becoming quite annoying. Both fighters were steadily landing blow after blow on one another, yet neither one of them faltered for a second. Flashes lit up the skies above, where Tyla and Master Daigu were spectating just below. The two of them cringed when Gohei and Elastro slammed their fists into one another's faces.

"Interesting." Daigu casually stroked at the lengthy, white beard on his chin and for a few moments, he only muttered, "Interesting." over and over.

"What's...interesting?" Tyla inquired after watching him for awhile.

"Oh, I was merely examining Gohei's technique. Interesting."

"That's it?"

"That is it."

As Daigu said that, Gohei managed to land a left hook on his opponent, but Elastro counterattacked with a swift knee to the stomach, along with an ax handle to the back of Gohei's head. Gohei was only slight fazed by this and he quickly flew back up into the heat of battle.

"H-He really has gotten strong, hasn't he?" Tyla said. She clasped her hands over her mouth and gasped when she saw Gohei take an energy wave to the face, though managed to regain her composure enough to speak afterward. "But...he was never this strong...or brave at the orphanage. It seems like just yesterday when Darunga and the rest of the bullies tormented him to no end. If he could fight like this back then, maybe..."

Gohei elbowed Elastro as hard as he could, sending what remaining teeth the Invader had flying from his gums. The recipient painfully clutched his mouth, unable to defend himself when his attacker followed this up with a swift kick to the stomach.

"But now...things are different," stated Tyla. "Just look at him. He's fighting without a care in the world; he's fighting like his life depended on it. I never thought I would see Gohei like this, never in a million years! I honestly don't know what to say. I know I should be happy he's gotten so strong, but..." Her voice softened, Daigu seeing she had almost begun to whisper. "W-What if he doesn't need me anymore?"

"Do not speak in such a sad tone, Tyla. It doesn't befit you." Master Daigu took hold of his facial hair once more and Tyla frowned at what she was hearing. "There is no reason for you to talk like that. After all, I do not think Gohei would approve. He is up there fighting for your behalf and all, so..."

Tyla let out another exhale of breath in surprise at this. "H-He's...?!"

"Yes. You don't see it?" The sounds of battle drowned Daigu's words, so he spoke up. "Don't you think he's trying to repay your many years of kindness to him by fighting in your stead? While he might have been unable to defend himself out of fear, he doesn't hesitate for a moment to fight for you. He no longer wants to be a burden to you, I believe."

There was nothing Tyla could think to say to this. Words seemed to be ineffective to explain how she felt. Not once did she even consider Gohei had done all of this because of her. The hardships he must have faced to obtain this level of strength, the trials he must have had to overcome; she knew she would never understand without having faced it herself. Not once did she ever think that he held her in such high regard. Falling to her knees, she didn't manage to get a glimpse of Gohei breaking out of a headlock by biting Elastro's arm like a piece of meat. The Invader howled in pain, as Gohei landed a series of jabs on his torso before blasting him away with a Masenko.

"J-Just look at him up there!" she said, while drawing her eyes to his battered and bloodied face. He was smiling. Despite the pain he was having to endure, despite she having put him in this situation by being kidnapped in the first place, he was smiling as hard as she had ever seen him do so. It didn't make sense to her. "H-He's actually having fun! T-That **maniac**!"

Daigu chuckled at this fact. "I do believe you are right."

"H-He's **crazy**!" she continued. Her declaration, though it was sincere, did not make her panic. In fact, she joined Daigu in a round of laughter. "B-But...I couldn't be any happier for him right now!"

Oblivious to the discussion below, Gohei focused on Elastro climbing out of a hole he had been knocked into. Both fighters were equal when it came to injuries at this point. The brief break in the action allowed the two combatants to catch their breaths at least, as they stared at one another quietly for a few seconds. Elastro's bones were willing him to stay down, to forget about this fight and relax. As much as he wanted to agree with them, he knew Gohei wouldn't allow this.

"G-Gah! This kid's some kind of monster!" he gasped behind shallow inhales. "I **knew** I should have taken the day off today!"

"Are you alright?" Gohei flew down to his opponent, having become concerned at his lack of action. "If you want, you can just throw in the towel. I'm honestly getting tired of fighting too anyway..."

"R-Really?! I...!" Momentarily, Elastro had looked like the happiest man in the world at the idea of surrendering, but he hastily snapped back to his senses, as he shook his fist angrily at Gohei. "N-No! Never! Like I'd give up against some kid! The Great Elastro doing such a thing? Ha! Dream on, kid!"

"...Right." Gohei hadn't expected any better, though he certainly had tried.

"I'll admit though," Elastro began, trying his best act 'cool', even though his nose was bleeding profusely. "You've gotten a lot tougher, kid! Yeah, I might actually have to start trying at this rate!"

Gohei found this story fishy. "Are you telling me you haven't been going all out?"

Elastro, empowered by the response, ecstatically replied, "O-Of course! Did you really think I would need to use even half of my power to deal with the likes of you?!" He may not have had a lot of teeth remaining, but even so, Elastro's remaining ones flashed when he grinned. "**I** will be the winner, kid!"

"M-My name is **Gohei**, not kid! You might win like you say, but don't think I'm going to make it easy for you! You better quit holding back, or else!"

"Is that so? You're asking for the hurt now, kid! Oh yeah! After I'm done breaking your face in, I'll...!"

Tired of Elastro's mouth, Gohei decided now was the best time to resume fighting. He effectively shut Elastro's trap when he shattered the latter's already broken nose into more pieces with a straight punch. He hadn't meant to put all his force behind it, although Elastro's cocky talk might have caused him to forget about holding back.

"Gotcha!" said Elastro. The blow hadn't fazed him as much as Gohei had thought and taking advance of this, he stretched both of his elastic-like arms, grabbed Gohei by the neck, and pulled him close enough to land a devastating head butt.

"Gack!" said Gohei in response. His pupils faded away because of the blow, while both he and Elastro crashed into the concrete wall together.

"A-Ah! Gohei!" yelled Tyla, her hands on the sides of her blue hair. Thinking Gohei had been badly injured, she tried running up to him. However, Master Daigu's hand upon her shoulder held her back. "W-What are you doing?! I have to...!"

"That was not enough to kill him, I assure you," he stated.

"N-No...?" His calm demeanor was enough to reassure her of this, yet she still found herself riled up. "Come on, Gohei! Get up!"

It was not an easy feet, however, Gohei found the energy to stand. Elastro did so as well and the smoke around them cleared enough for them to see that neither of them were in tip top shape. Their arms sagging at their sides, they waited for the other to make a move, since neither wanted to exert the effort in doing so themselves. When no one did, Elastro seemed to find humor in it.

"H-Hahaha! N-Not looking so good, are ya, brat?!" he bellowed. He had to shut one of his eyelids shut as he talked. "S-Still think it was a good idea to take me on?!"

Gohei tried to ignore the bump on his forehead, as he retorted, "Tch! Look who's talking?! Jeez, you talk so much, I'm surprised your mouth hasn't fallen off yet!"

Try as he might, Elastro could not keep his calm at this. "W-Why you...! That's it! How about I try out my **best** technique?!"

This remark did little to intimidate Gohei. He had heard all this before from Elastro, who's 'secret techniques' were often nothing more than cowardly actions used to try and turn the tide of battle. Indeed, if anything, Gohei found himself humored by Elastro's constant boasting. While the Invader was quite proud of his strength, fighting him this long had showed Gohei that he was mostly talk. His inexperience aside, Gohei knew he had a shot of winning this as long as he kept his head on straight.

Unfortunately, Elastro bluff was anything but. He held out his left arm, which in turn grew three times its normal size behind a loud series of shouts from Elastro. It was even larger than Elastro's own body and Gohei had no idea how he was even able to stand up properly. Its shadow looming over him, Gohei stepped back, stumbling upon a piece of broken rubble, at the sight of this odd change of events.

"Yes, have a good look at my legendary Stretch-Stretch Fist! Heh, I won't even be leaving 'one piece' of you alive now, kid!" said Elastro, taking great pleasure in Gohei's stunned features.

"H-Hwah?! How did you do that?!" said Gohei, actually finding himself amazed. "I-I could swear I've seen something like this before somewhere..."

"W-What is he doing?!" asked Tyla. Her face was the exact reflection of Gohei's. "W-What's going on?!"

"Copyright infringement," Master Daigu replied simply.

Elastro shouted, "TAKE THIS!" and throwing his arm around like it weighed nothing, he caught Gohei in the body with a punch that not only broke the ground below the young warrior, but possibly broke every bone in his body as well. Unable to move or even think properly, he allowed himself to sail across the prison turned battlefield, through a couple of walls, and finally into a different room altogether.

"G-GOHEI!" On the verge of tears, it was as if Tyla herself had been the recipient of that attack. There was no doubt in her mind her long time friend had been finished off that time. "Gohei, NO-OOOO-OOO!"

"He lowered his guard for a split second because he underestimated his opponent," said Daigu solemnly. He held his cane with both hands, watching intently to see if this battle was really over. "I will have to teach him better if he ever decides to stand again."

"H-Huh?! H-He's still okay after...**that**?!"

Daigu nodded. "Like I said earlier, it will take a lot more to finish this boy off."

Elastro was more than pleased with his handiwork and he walked through the numerous gaps in the walls created by his fist to confirm his kill. Upon stumbling upon Gohei's still form, he grabbed the young boy by his shirt, lifted him up to his face, and beamed.

"See?! I told you, you stood no chance against the likes of me!"

Gohei, opening an eye, suddenly exclaimed, "You know, if you're going to get this story sued for ripping off other people's manga's, you could at least make sure you **finish me off!**"

Using the last of his strength, he slugged Elastro across the jaw as hard as he could. Elastro's expression showed his amazement that Gohei could still move. The impact from the blow knocked both of them back into the prison, much to Tyla and Daigu's alarm.

"O-Oof! Y-You little...!" Elastro pushed Gohei off of him, who was powerless to stop this from happening. "I-I would expect nothing more from my rival! To think you'd still be flopping around after taking a shot from my Stretch-Stretch Fist! Still..."

"Heh, I'm your rival now, am I?" Gohei stuttered to say. He had lost the feeling in his body and could only laugh with Elastro hovering above him. "I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or not."

"Still running off at the mouth I see!" bellowed Elastro. The irony in his statement was too much for Gohei to contain himself. "H-Hey! W-Why are you **laughing**?!"

"N-Nothing. I was just noting that your punches don't hurt as much as you'd like!"

That was the last straw. Elastro, unwilling to be made a fool of any longer, steadied his resolve. Though Gohei had assumed he was out of tricks, the Invader pulled another out of his bag by enlarging his right hand this time around. With two versions of his Stretch-Stretch fist ready to go, Elastro sneered at Gohei madly and aimed his fists for Gohei's heart.

"Time for bed, kid!"

END

* * *

A/N: This one took awhile to put up too, it seems. Work's been pretty hectic and my writing muse in general hasn't been that great, but I do apologize for taking forever with this one. I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner (even though I said that last time. XD). I think I'll just start uploading from Tuesday's from now on, if that's alright with everyone.

In regards to the story, forgive me for my terrible sense of humor. One Piece jokes are quite old, I know. Well, until next time...


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"W-Would you wait up a second?! Sheesh, where's the fire?!"

The way Piccolo was running ahead of Kain, the latter could have sworn someone was about to die. Then again, maybe someone was. Kain could feel Gohei's Ki growing smaller and smaller, a sure sign whoever he was fighting at the moment was winning. Not wanting to see his new pupil die before he got to teach him anything, he hurried on ahead to catch up with Piccolo, who had been more daunted than Kain could ever recall seeing him. It was obvious to him that the Namekian and Gohei had some kind of connection, one that was willing Piccolo to reach the young boy at all costs. Certainly, this wasn't a matter Kain could argue with, though stitches of pain **were** beginning to jab at his sides from all this running.

"You want to keep complaining or do you want to get a move on?!" Piccolo snarled, exposing his clenched teeth in Kain's vicinity.

For some reason, a chill shot down Kain's back upon hearing the complaint. "O-Okay, I got it, I got it! Still, maybe it was a bad idea to send that kid on his own! I just hope we get to him in time before it's too late!"

Piccolo felt the same way, although he had no desire to stop and chat about the subject. He and Kain hurried down another corridor, while the both of them continued to sense Gohei's Ki decrease by the second.

"Any last words, punk?"

Elastro couldn't imagine being more elated. Even the time his mother bought him that lavish doll house for his birthday couldn't compare to this moment. Baring over Gohei's injured body, he knew there was nothing the young warrior could do to stop what was coming. Gohei himself realized this and half resigned himself to his fate, as he could think of no techniques or ways to turn things around. His arms and legs were refusing to listen to him, no matter how much he ordered them to move.

"N-No! Gohei!" Tyla had a front row seat to what was about to happen and unable to sit still. "I-Isn't there something we can do to help?! M-Master Daigu, can't you...?!"

"I'm sorry," said Daigu promptly, clutching his wooden cane fiercely. "As much as I want to go out there and help, there is nothing I can do against that kind of foe."

Tyla was only half listening to his explanation. "B-But, aren't you a powerful martial artists?! Surely, you can do **something**!"

"...No, not at my old age." A tangent of guilt filled Daigu's words, causing Tyla backed off of him a little. "If only Kain or Axel were here..."

They weren't though and Tyla wasn't counting on them showing up either. This wasn't a movie where everything worked out perfectly in the end. This was reality and the reality of it all was that Gohei was going to die if nothing was done to stop it from happening. There would be no timely reinforcements coming to save the day or any last second miracles. The only was anything was going to change was if she herself acted. Ignoring Master Daigu's voice calling after her, she rushed at Gohei, paying no mind to the fact she was placing herself mortal danger. The single remaining thought on her mind, the only one that matter to her, was Gohei's well being.

"Well, it's been fun, kid." Elastro snatched the motionless Gohei up from the ground with one of his giant fists, while cocking the other back. "Still, I've got better things to do than play around with you all day."

Gohei offered no response to this. He noted his body was in too much pain for him to make words anyway. He was done for, plain and simple. If there was anything good to come out of his death, it was not having to die a Piccolo's hands for having gone down in such a disgraceful manner.

"S-Stop, you bully!" said Tyla's distinctive tone out of the blue. Elastro and Gohei turned to her, Gohei assuming her to be a mere hallucination in his near death state. Surely, the **real** Tyla wouldn't be stupid enough to jumping into the middle of the fray. "P-Put him down and leave him alone!"

Although she was trying her best to be defiant, her quivering form only proved to amuse Elastro, as he began cackling in disbelief at her stupidity. Gohei, unwilling to look her in the eyes, couldn't believe what was happening. Yet again, Tyla was bailing him out of a sticky situation. Was there nothing he could do without her assistance? Even with Piccolo's training and despite the fact he had grown stronger in the last couple of days, he was still worthless without her assistance. Clenching his teeth, he felt like some sort of helpless child relying on its mother for survival. For once, he wanted to protect Tyla. For once, he didn't want to be made out as a fool. This was his golden opportunity and yet he was pissing it away.

"N-No!" he muttered angrily to himself. There was still something he could do. Though he could no longer fight, he felt there was still something he could do to help his old friend after all. "T-Tyla! S-Stop it! Just...g-get out of here! Take the Master and..." His plea was momentarily delayed by a torrent of blood spilling out of his mouth. It was hard for him to remain conscious at this point. "T-Take the Master, find Kain and Axel, and just get the hell out of here! I-I can try to hold him off and...!"

"No!" Tyla said this so firmly that Gohei let go any attempts to persuade her to flee instantaneously. She looked absolutely furious and he could no longer tell if she was after him or Elastro. Stamping her feet against the flooring, she shouted, "I am **not** going anywhere! I **refuse** to go anywhere! I am so sick and tired of you running off and leaving me on my own while I worry half to death about you!"

"B-But, Tyla...!"

"No, **you** listen!" she barked. Even Elastro didn't dare say a word now. "I know you've gotten a lot stronger, but I'll be **damned** if I stand aside and watch you die without lifting a finger! If you wanna die, then I'm going to die with you! I don't care what you say; I'm not going **anywhere** and that's **final**!"

Gohei was confused. What was she trying to say? What was she trying to accomplish with this stunt? The only thing it would get her was a death sentence and while he figured she understood that, he didn't get why she was sticking around. She had always been stubborn, though this was going a little far. He gestured his hand and again told her to run away, as there was nothing more she could do here.

If he was going to die, he was going to die alone.

"Heh, heh, heh. You've got a nice set of lungs their, little girl," said Elastro, letting Gohei's body slip through his fingertips and onto the floor as he spoke. His devilish eyes then set sights for Tyla. She stepped away the moment he took a step forward. "You've got a lot of guts as well! Ha, I'd expect nothing less from my rival's girlfriend! However, as much as I like your spirit, I would be in a heap of trouble if I let you all get away, so I think I'd better just do away with you while I have the chance. You don't even want to see the look on Lord Icer's face if I let a couple of kids and an old man escape after all the trouble they've caused!"

Elastro, placing his hand on his forehead, chuckled a few times at the idea of such lunacy. The courage that had swelled up inside Tyla like an erupting volcano suddenly melted away. The severeness of the situation was perhaps hitting her at last. As she desperately backed away from Elastro, she stumbled over a large chunk of rubble and fell on her bottom, helpless to stop the Invader's advance. He lurched his massive hands out in an attempt to strangle her to death and her shrill scream was what seemed to awaken Gohei from his long slumber.

"TYLA-AAAA-AAA!"

How could he have been so stupid? Everything was so clear to him now that he wondered if his brain had been functioning properly beforehand. Disregarding the pain surging through his body, Gohei leaped at Elastro with reddened eyes. There was no way in hell he could allow this to happen.

There was no way he was going to allow Tyla to die.

"H-Huh?!" Elastro cried. "How in the hell are you...?!"

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!"

Gohei gathered a large amount of Ki into his right hand prior to jamming it dead center into Elastro's stomach. Pain wracked every inch of Elastro's face and he nearly fell over, just as Gohei landed a barrage of punches and kicks all over his body. After throughly pummeling the Invader, Gohei jumped into the air, bent his hands back, and charged an orange sphere of energy. Master Daigu's eyes enlarged at the sight of this and the walking stick in his possession dropped and clattered to the floor, dropped by trembling fingers.

"T-To think he would have already learned that technique!" he said in an awestruck intonation. "B-But when did he...?!"

"Take this, you bastard! RYUHO!" cried Gohei. He couldn't ever remember learning the Ryuho, though at the moment, he couldn't have cared less. The energy wave literally ripped off of his fingers when he thrust his arms forward and the blast was by far the largest Ryuho Daigu had ever seen.

Elastro forgot about Tyla completely at the sight of it. "No, no, NO!"

Tyla hit the deck, as the Ryuho crashed down on its target. She was thrown back by it and she screamed, Master Daigu catching her flailing form. Gohei, paying this no mind, increased the intensity of his blast, wishing to burn every atom Elastro possessed if he could. An orange-colored flash blinded both Tyla and Daigu and just as soon as it had begun, it was over. Elastro was nowhere to be seen, considering Gohei had burned a hole straight through the round ship and a few miles into the Earth.

"W-Was he trying to kill us all?!" Tyla yelled, coughing out some smoke. She had barely gotten away in time when Gohei had let that last attack loose. "D-Did he do it?"

Daigu stroked at his white beard, unable to hide a sense of pride etched into his features. "Well, if not, I doubt that Invader will have wished to survive."

That was it. Gohei, falling out of the air, decided he had had enough of fighting for one day. He crashed with enough force to alarm Tyla, who wasted no time in rushing to his side. She quickly saw, however, that he was perfectly fine. He sat up, half wanting to go to sleep on the spot, while the other half simply wished to celebrate his first victory. His stomach growled quite loudly, making a bead of sweat roll down Tyla's forehead.

"I-I thought you were in trouble!" she said, hitting him repeatedly upside his head. "H-How could you be hungry after something like that?!"

Gohei braced himself, certain that Tyla hit much harder than Elastro ever could. "H-Hey! What's the big idea?! You don't have to bite me head off! I can't help it if I'm hungry **and** I just saved your life!"

"**S-Saved my life**?! You nearly killed me along with that other guy!" she said in return, her teeth appearing more like razor sharp fangs to Gohei.

"I-I just got caught up in the moment is all!" He blushed, as he knew she had a point. "Look, we're all...okay, more or less, so...!"

Tyla's abrupt shriek of terror nearly punctured Gohei's eardrums. He searched around, but saw no sign of Elastro or anyone nearby, so he had no clue why she was shouting. It was only when Master Daigu came over and started prodding something with his cane did Gohei get that it was something about **him**.

"W-What?" he said curiously. "H-Hey, would you stop that, old timer?!"

Daigu, not hearing him, merely scratched his facial hair. "Interesting indeed."

"H-Huh?! What's interesting?! What's the matter with you two?!"

"A-Are you **blind** or something?!" Tyla proclaimed. She then pointed at something with her finger. "W-What is that sticking out of your...y-your backside?!"

Why the two of them had to be so cryptic, Gohei didn't know. Losing patience with them, he shifted around to see what they were referring to. A look of pure horror filled every line of his face when he did, while he watched a brown monkey's tail wriggle around slightly above his buttocks. As if reacting to the gazes it was receiving, the tail squirmed around harder.

"W-What the hell is **that**?!" said Gohei in a daze. "H-How long has that been there?!"

"Oh, that popped up right before you took care of that Invader," Daigu replied, as if what he was saying was not surprising at all. "By the way, that Ryuho you performed was magnificent, Gohei. I am very..."

"I don't care about **that**!" he cried. His tail lurched around excitedly at the sound of his voice. "H-How in the hell didn't I feel it before?!"

Tyla poked at it cautiously. "W-Why do you have a tail?! A-Are you sick or something?! You never had a tail before!"

Gohei already knew the answer; he was a Saiyan. It should have come as no surprise then that he would suddenly sprout a monkey's tail like this, yet he still found the situation highly surreal. He quickly explained his Saiyan heritage to Tyla and Daigu, both of them looking as if they had seen a ghost when he was finished.

"Y-You're an **alien** then?!" said Tyla. She would faint from shock if this kept on.

Gohei awkwardly nodded his head. "I...guess so, yeah."

"I-I always thought you were different, but I never expected **this**," she retorted.

Holding his head down, Gohei was afraid of this very reaction, hence him not wanting to inform Tyla of this to begin with. It made him feel as if he were different,a freak even. The other kids at the orphanage had made sure to remind him of this very thing, but if Tyla was going to go along with them...

"But..." she started, surprising Gohei with a bright smile. "You're still Gohei to me, no matter what, so I guess it doesn't matter if you're a Saiyan or whatever!"

"T-Tyla..." Gohei said, astonished. He was on the verge of tears now.

"I suppose I was right in seeing potential in you, Gohei," said Master Daigu, affectionately grabbing at his beard. "I just didn't know how right I was."

"Uh, thanks...I-I guess."

The stigma of being a Saiyan he had moments ago felt was washed away, replaced by a sense of pride. Now he was **happy** that he was different, happy he had discovered he was apart of the Saiyan race. Other than having to watch out for full moons now, he had a feeling this would work out for him in the end just fine.

"H-Haha! Not...actually...dead yet!"

Gohei's, Tyla's, and Daigu's faces all dropped at the sight of Elastro, alive and well. How he had survived even Gohei's best technique was beyond any of them, though he was quite injured nonetheless. His armor had been burned to cinders, with the sole thing remaining of it was his black trousers and his white hair had mostly been burned off. It was as if a truck had hit him, though Gohei doubted even that would finish him off.

"Are you some kind of cockroach?!" he asked.

Elastro chuckled at the remark sarcastically. "Oh, very funny!"

"I'm getting real sick of having to deal with you!"

"Hmph! Just as I would expect from my rival!" Elastro jammed some soot out of his ears using his forearm before shooting Gohei a smirk. "I told you, though, you can't kill the Great Elastro so easily! I;m **immortal**!"

Gohei jumped at this news. "I-Immortal?! Really?!"

"Er...n-no!" answered Elastro truthfully. "However, I **am** hard to kill...I guess! Now then, how about we finish our climatic battle, once and for all?!"

"I'm game!"

All the strength in his body had returned the moment Gohei had grown his tail and perhaps the adrenaline pumping through is veins was dulling his pain. Even though he should have been more annoyed by the circumstances, a part of him was more than happy to indulge Elastro a bit longer.

However, before they could go at it once more, a drill-like beam of Ki narrowly missed Elastro, instead creating a cut across his right cheek. He clasped the bleeding spot, just as he and Gohei turned their heads to see Piccolo and Kain standing in the distance.

"**There** you are, you little shit!" said an enraged Kain, who suddenly rushed over to Elastro before nailing him in the stomach with a swift punch.

"W-Why?!" Elastro said, falling to his knees in anguish.

"Hmph. I must be getting a bid rusty," Piccolo stated. "To think I'd miss."

Kain lifted Elastro off of the ground before stating, "Oh, I've been waiting a rather long time for this!"

"P-Please, s-spare my life!" pleaded Elastro and a green tongue lurched out of his mouth. "I-If this is about that little incident back at your hideout, I...!"

"Shut up!" Kain barked, kneeing the Invader this time around. "I'll deal with you in a second! Are you alright, kid?"

"U-Uh...y-yeah," said Gohei.

Daigu cleared his throat. "Young Gohei here had the situation under control, Kain."

"Really? You don't say? Well, it's good to see you all are alright, Master. I was starting to get worried. Ah, you're alright too, Tyla. Great, great. I'm glad things have worked out so far. The green guy and I..."

"Call me Piccolo," interjected the Namekian.

Kain frowned his lips. "**Piccolo** and I thought you were in trouble, Gohei, so we came here as soon as we could, but it looks like you really did have things under control! Don't tell me you actually managed to beat this guy here?"

Kain began wrestling Elastro to keep him under control with the latter eventually giving up, mostly because he realized how outnumbered he was.

Piccolo walked around behind Gohei and peered down at the brown tail jerking around. "I see. You have a tail now, Gohei."

"W-Whoa, wait a sec!" Joining Piccolo, Kain stared at the tail as well, having not noticed it at all until this very moment. "That crazy Lilma lady was right then?! You really **are** a Saiyan?!"

"Looks like it," said Gohei.

"Man, whoda guessed it?"

"We need to remove it," said Piccolo suddenly.

Gohei immediately jumped back away from him and asked, "W-What?! Why?"

"You know full well why." Piccolo retorted, scowling somewhat at Gohei. "If the full moon comes out, you're going to turn into a Great Ape without any control over yourself."

That was true. Even Gohei couldn't deny that fact. Actually, he himself had known that the moment he saw the tail, but he found himself attached to it now for some reason. Parting with it was the equivalent of parting with an arm or a leg to him. Piccolo might have taken heed of this, since his anger subsided and he turned his back on Gohei with his arms crossed.

"Fine," he said after a bit of silence. "But you know the risks associated with keeping that thing. If it comes down to it, I'm cutting that thing off myself. Do you understand me?"

"Y-Yeah," replied Gohei timidly. While he was grateful for Piccolo's lenience, he was also frightened, as making the Namekian upset in anyway always made him wary. "I-I just don't have to look at the full moon, right? No problem them!"

"What in the world are you guys talking about?" Tyla had lost track of the conversation a long time ago and Gohei realized he had left out the part about Saiyans transforming under the light of the full moon during his explanation.

"Uh..." he started. "F-Forget about it. It's nothing."

Judging from the look she was giving him, he had a feeling she thought it was something other than 'nothing.' She too would want him to get rid of his tail if he told her the truth, so Gohei hastily made to change the subject of the ongoing conversation.

"S-Say...where's Axel?"

The group turned their heads to a different part of the room, each of them expecting Axel to come striding into the prison from there. However, he wasn't there, nor anywhere.

"Wait, you guys haven't run into him? That's...strange," said Kain, placing a hand to his chin. "I was sure he would have made it here before us. Gohei, you sure you ain't seen him?"

Gohei shook his head. "N-No. Didn't...he go off to fight that Soyl guy?"

"Yeah, but we haven't seen him since. I don't sense his energy anymore either."

Tyla, hesitantly, asked, "Y-You don't think...something has happened to him?"

Nonsense, Gohei thought. If there was anyone here that could get themselves out of a jam, it was Axel. He was the one who had defeated Plinto after all, so the idea that he could possibly lose to the likes of Soyl was unimaginable to Gohei. At least, this is what he wanted to think. How was it that none of them could feel Axel's presence anymore if he **was** alright then? Didn't that just confirm that something was wrong? Gohei slapped himself on the cheeks in an attempt to dismiss these questions from his mind.

Axel was okay. He **had** to have been.

"Oh no. I'm starting to get worried," said Tyla, breaking Gohei's train of thought. Her words were no comfort to him and made him even more discomposed. "Should we go look for him then?"

"I would not worry about Axel." Everyone shifted their heads to Master Daigu at his remark, just as he began to play with his beard in between his fingers again. "If he is anything like his Master, then we have nothing to fear. I cannot say what he is up to at the moment, but I can assure you all that he is quite alright."

"H-How can you be so sure?" said Gohei. He wanted to believe too that Axel was in one piece, yet at the same time, he didn't want to cling to hope blindly. That would only make things harder in the end if they found out Axel had perished after all.

Piccolo, crossing his arms, added, "I agree. We don't need to worry about him. However, what we **should** be concerning ourselves with now is our next plan of action."

"That's easy!" Kain bellowed, pinning Elastro to the floor. He shot the Invader the meanest stare he could before going on with, "We pay **this** guy right here back for all our troubles! Yeah, thought you could run for us forever, huh?! Payback's a bitch, ain't it?!"

Kain drove Elastro's face harder into the metal flooring, causing the latter to cry out in agony. Gohei had expected this the moment Kain had laid eyes on the Invader. It was only natural. Elastro had been the one to cause the lot of them so much pain. He may not have done so with his own hands, but it truly was his fault Sarai and Master Daigu's pupils were now gone. Feeling that same anger he felt upon stumbling upon the bodies of his new friends, Gohei balled his fists and noted he wanted to pound Elastro's face in some more.

"S-Stop!" Tyla's voice echoed throughout the prison, as she ran over to Kain and attempted pulling his sturdy arm away from Elastro's skull. "Y-You'll kill him!"

"That's the idea, kid!" replied Kain angrily.

Tyla looked honestly taken aback by his response. "P-Please, Kain! Sarai wouldn't have wanted you to turn into a cold blooded murderer on her account! D-Don't stoop down to this guy's level! You're better than that!"

What was Tyla saying? Gohei had to clean out his ears to make sure he wasn't hearing things. She hadn't seen Sarai die in Kain's arms, nor the destruction the Invaders left in their wake back at Daigu's bunker. If anyone deserved retribution at Kain's hands, it was Elastro.

Nevertheless, Kain faltered some when he saw Tyla on the verge of tears. The two locked eyes for a couple of seconds. It was as if if Tyla was still pleading to him to stay his hand, albeit silently. It appeared to be the most difficult decision of his life, but Kain finally released Elastro from his death grip, allowing the Invader to breathe again. Kain then sighed and turned away.

"W-What?! Why are you letting him go?!" cried Gohei.

Tyla scowled at him. "G-Gohei!"

"No, Tyla! D-Don't you care about the others?! Don't you care about what this guy has done?!"

"Are you saying we should just kill him then?! What would that solve, Gohei?!"

"I **know** that, Tyla! I know killing him won't bring anyone back! I know that, but...!"

Gohei found himself unwilling to speak with her anymore on the matter and she walked away from him, crossing her arms tightly as she did so. A part of him wanted to protest further, tell her that she was wrong about things. Then again, he knew she had a point. A part of him was well aware of the fact that if they killed Elastro right here and now, they would be as worse as the Invaders. He bit his lip at this notion, frustrated and unsure of what to do.

"I think we had better move on," Piccolo declared suddenly. Most everyone had forgotten he was even there since he had been so quiet.

Master Daigu agreed. "Yes, let us. We will accomplish nothing by sitting here and bickering. What shall we do now?"

"Well, I know what **I **want to do! Later, suckers!"

Elastro, letting everyone get a glimpse of the teeth missing in his wide grin, began to stretch away from the group before most realized what was happening. Instinctively, both Kain and Gohei began to fire energy waves his way, but Elastro managed to slink out of a hole in the wall, with the Ki blasts zooming well over his head. Soon enough, he was gone.

"D-Dammit!" said Kain, running after him. However, Piccolo's outstretched hand stopped him. "W-What are you...?!"

"Leave him be," said Piccolo coolly. "We have other things to worry about."

"O-Other things?! I'm sorry, buddy, but I have to...!"

"I know what he did, but we have to take care of the last General here on the ship or else more people are going to die, just like your friends back there in the city!" shouted Piccolo in a very audible tone. Gohei flinched at this, as he never did like it when his mentor lost his temper like this.

Kain smacked his lips, although he listened to Piccolo and let Elastro be for the time being. Gohei found himself glaring at Tyla, who quickly looked else where, because he wanted to shout that it was her fault Elastro had gotten away. There moment to finish off the Invader was ruined by her intervention, after all.

"Kain, your friend Piccolo is right," said Master Daigu. He placed a frail hand on Kain's shoulder, who seemed to loosen up some at his touch. "While that Elastro might have caused all these things to happen, he is not the true source of this invasion."

"I-I know, Master. I understand. I will defeat the last General for sure!"

It like something had snapped inside Kain's head and now his mind was back on task. He was fired up more than ever and Gohei then remembered that it hadn't been Elastro who had killed Sarai, but most likely Kidnel, the man they were likely going to face now that there were no further obstacles in their path. That idea was not one he was fond of. His earlier encounter with Kidnel was still fresh in his head and he noted that instance had been the only time he had been afraid of someone more than Darunga, the biggest of his bully's back at the orphanage.

"...so, we should probably head for a control room or something. That might be where the last guy is," said Kain's frustrated voice, though Gohei hadn't caught the first part of his statement because he had been thinking to himself so intently.

Piccolo nodded at this. "Seems like a good plan. I can't sense the last General's Ki from here, but I have a feeling he's still sticking around. Gohei..."

"Y-Yes?!" cried Gohei, jumping some at the mention of his name.

"Is there something wrong? Your look pale..."

Gohei hastened to cover his face when the others caught a glimpse of it too. He hadn't noticed, but he had been worrying more and more about encountering Kidnel again that it must have caused his features to grown white. Tyla placed her hand on his forehead to check if he was sick or not.

"I-I'm fine!" he lied. "I just..."

Everyone soon forgot all about Gohei's condition when a large screen in the distance rose up from a panel in the wall and a face appeared on its screen. Gohei hadn't thought it possible for him to feel even worse at the moment, but he was wrong. Smiling at the confused group below him was Kidnel, who raised a glass of wine at them as a greeting.

"Congratulations!" he said in a pleasant manner. "I have been watching your many victories here today and I have quite enjoyed the fighting."

"Did you now?!" said Kain, holding his fist up. "And just who the hell are you?!"

"Ah, forgive me for being impolite. My name is Kidnel and..."  
"Are you the last General?!" interrupted Kain. He was growing angrier and angrier by the second and it was clear he was in no mood for a friendly discussion.

Kidnel, perhaps seeing this, chuckled and held his hands up, shrugging. This served to increase the bitterness on Kain's face, but Master Daigu managed to sate his wrath a bit with a stern look. Seeing that he wasn't going to be cut off again, Kidnel spoke.

"You all did a fantastic job of getting this far against such insurmountable odds!" he proclaimed. The way he talked, those looking on had the strange sense of listening to a parent praising their child after a job well done. "As such, I must admit that I am rather excited at the prospect of meeting you all face to face."

"Is this guy serious?" mumbled Kain. "Where are you right now?!"

"Me? Nearby, I can assure you. Does that mean you'll accept my invitation?"

"You're damn right we will! Right, guys?!"

Kain glanced at the others, with Piccolo nodding at his words, Daigu giving a firm slam of his walking stick into the floor, and Tyla shaking her head vigorously. It was only Gohei that was less than enthusiastic about the concept. His face had turned white, a cold sweat was running down his forehead, and his expression had sunken so low, the others thought he might have been ill.

Tyla, her eyes bulging, asked him, "G-Gohei, are you okay?"

"I-I think that we should just...go home. Yeah..." His remark was barely audible, as his gaze remained fixed on Kidnel's image on the monitor above. He then repeated, "W-We need to get out of here right now, Tyla!"

"G-Gohei...?"

Seeing that she wasn't grasping the situation, Gohei placed his hands on her shoulders and began to shake her vigorously. "We can't fight that guy, we have to go **now**!"

"I-I don't get it! Why?!"

He decided to inform of her of his earlier meeting with Kidnel just then and how the Invader's Ki alone had froze the blood in his veins. While he spoke in a frantic manner, Tyla continued to stare at him, somewhat thinking he had gone mad.

"Do you get it now?!" he asked in a pleading voice after finishing.

Tyla nodded, but only to try and calm him down. "O-Okay, Gohei. If you think we should get out of here, we should tell the others..."

Her words were cut off however when the floor in front of the group slid open, revealing a narrow shaft. From the hole came what everyone saw was a lift, large enough for three or four people to fit onto. On the screen above, Kidnel gestured his hand toward it, as the others inspected it with an air of caution.

"This lift will bring you to me," he stated, taking a long sip of red wine from his glass. "Please, climb aboard. I assure you, you will not be harmed in doing so." He added the last part in viewing the rather suspicious glances he was receiving. "As I stated before, I am waiting with baited breath to meet you all, so I have no wish to kill you before then."

Kidnel disappeared behind a chuckle and the giant screen clicked off.

"H-Hey, get back here!" cried Kain.

Master Daigu then said, "I believe he is gone, Kain."

"Dammit! That guy has a lot of nerve asking us to meet him like this!"

"Do you think it's a trap?" asked Tyla.

"It's a possibility," replied Piccolo out of the blue. He spoke so suddenly that everyone involuntarily gasped at the sound of his voice. A vein popped up on his forehead at this. "...However, I don't think we have anything to fear. If these Invaders wanted to lure us into some sort of trap, they would have done so the moment Kain and the others showed up. Still, there's no doubt that this Kidnel's actions are strange. It's like he was expecting you all to get this far, hoping for it even."

"He...wanted us to win?"

Despite Gohei's question, he too had had the sinking suspicion the Kidnel had ensured their survival thus far today. The concept, regardless, was still a strange one to him. Why would Kidnel want to do such a thing? They were enemies, persistent Earthlings who kept getting in the way of this Invasion, yet Kidnel looked absolutely beside himself to see them defeat his men left and right.

"So, what are we doing then?" said Piccolo, looking over at everyone present.

Kain tightened the gloves on his hands and replied, "What kind of a stupid question is that?! What do you **think **we're gonna do?! I'm going to go meet this guy face to face, since he was kind enough to invite us! Think I'll say hello using my fists!"

"Uh...I-I think..." Gohei gulped, unsure as to how to word himself. "I think we should just get out of here instead!"

"I heard you when you were talking to Tyla earlier. You've gotten soft, kid," said Kain coldly. "Just don't pee your pants on the way out, eh?"

It was as if a dagger had been driven into Gohei's heart, as he flinched at the response. His concern for Kain's well being was replaced by a surging bout of anger.

"Y-You don't understand though, Kain! If you had felt what I had earlier, you wouldn't be acting so high and mighty!"

"Oh, is that so?!"

"Yeah!" yelled Gohei in a booming tone. "There's no way we could beat someone like Kidnel! I say we get out of here while we have the chance and...and think of some other way to stop him without taking him on head on!"

"And **I** say you're nothing more than a coward, kid!" Kain was moments away from striking Gohei, but instead, he suddenly backed off, laughing and shrugging. "Run along then, Gohei. Go play in a sandbox or something while the **adults** handle this! I don't need to be looking after some snot nosed kid if he's going to act like this!"

Was Kain serious right now? Here Gohei was, attempting to warn Kain of the danger he was about to get himself into, yet all he cared about was revenge and satisfying his overblown ego. It was like Gohei's words were passing through his brain without leaving any sort of impression. Balling his fists together tightly, Gohei decided he would say no more. If Kain wanted to go and get himself killed, it wasn't any of his business.

"Forget this guy! Tyla, let's get out of here!" he stated, as he grabbed hold of Tyla's hand.

"H-Hold on a second! G-Gohei?!"

Unfortunately, before he could make his speedy escape, he found Master Daigu's cane blocking his path.

"What?" he asked the old man behind a scowl.

"Wait just a moment, Gohei," said Daigu, petting his beard. "Do not leave so hastily."

Tyla, wrenching her limb from Gohei's rather tight hold, added, "H-He's right! Where are we supposed to go even if we do decide to leave?"

"W-Whst does it matter?!" he replied. Was he the only sane person left on the planet? "L-Let's just get out of here before...!"

"Heh. Let the kid go," said Kain, walking toward the lift. "We don't need him."

"What was that, you...!"

"And you think you can go ahead all alone?" asked Piccolo. "You think you'll win just because you're a little upset?"

Kain shot Piccolo an incredibly nasty look. "I already told you; I'm going to go and avenge Sarai and the others! Is that so wrong?! Why am I the villain because I'm the only one man enough fight for what's right?! What's wrong with you guys?! I thought we came here for this very thing! Now you're scared of some idiot in a tuxedo?! Bah! I'm outta here! When you guys grow a pair of balls, come and find me!"

"Fool..."

Kain had been walking away when Piccolo uttered that and the statement caused him to stop in his tracks. There was a short silence before Kain wheeled around, marched up to Piccolo, and then grabbed him by the front of his clothing with murder in his eyes. Piccolo was not intimidated in the least by this action. He actually smiled instead.

"What the hell did you just say?!" said Kain between clenched teeth. It was apparently taking everything in his power to make speech, rather than bite Piccolo's head off. "What the **hell** did you just say to me?!"

"A-Ah! Kain, calm down!" Gohei declared. He and Tyla desperately tried pulling Kain off the Namekian, but they might as well have been attempting to move a brick wall. Kain held steadfast onto Piccolo, while Piccolo remained silent.

"I didn't hear you, green man!" Kain continued, his face continually growing a vibrant shade of red by the second. "Why don't you say that one again?! Or are you too much of a pussy to repeat yourself?!"

"Hmph. You're thinking irrationally right now, Kain. You think you're so big and tough because you have a vendetta against these people. Do you think they care that you're a little upset? Do you think they care about you throwing a temper tantrum all through this ship? This isn't a movie, where the hero gets vengeance and the end and everything is all peachy keen. These people will kill you, Kain, and they won't hesitate in doing so. With your attitude, it's amazing you haven't been killed yet," said Piccolo indifferently.

Without warning, Kain slugged Piccolo across the face. Both Gohei and Tyla nearly ripped their hair out at the sight of this, but Piccolo seemed none to fazed by the surprise attack, considering he simply wiped away a trail of blood from his mouth in response. He then leered at Kain again, who was breathing heavily and seriously considering striking again.

"Is that the best punch you can throw?" Piccolo asked. "Because if it is, Gohei is right; you'd be better off getting out of here before you get yourself killed for no reason."

Gohei and Tyla were sure a fight would break out soon, worse than any of the action that had gone underway today. However, Kain turned away from the lot of them and marched his way toward the lift without another word. Gohei watched him fumble around with the lift's controls, all while wondering what it was they should do now. It was clear Kain wasn't going to listen to reason, but leaving him all by himself would only ensure his death.

"M-Master Daigu, can't you do something to stop him?!" Tyla asked in a panic. "Kain's not thinking clearly anymore!"

Daigu flinched at the question. He had hoped no one would ask him of such a request. "I...cannot. I am sorry."

"B-But why?!" Gohei inquired.

"I can no longer stop Kain from doing what he wants any longer. I may be his master, but sometimes, he must do what he feels he has to do. This is one of those instances."

"You're no help..."

Gohei could think of nothing else to do but join Kain on the lift. Maybe if he were around to keep an eye on Kain, he could keep him out of trouble. Kain glanced at Gohei and looked like he wanted to protest, but in the end, he remained quiet and went back to trying to get the lift to work.

"Hmph. I thought you would decide on that in the end, Gohei."

With the same grin he had given Kain, Piccolo too walked onto the metal lift, crossing his arms and taking a spot next to Gohei. The arrival of yet another unwanted guest made Kain grunt, though like with Gohei, he opted not to say a word of protest.

"Gohei..." In Piccolo's outstretched hand was a Senzu. "Take this."

The Senzu immediately made the stiffness and the pain Gohei was experiencing throughout his body fade away at once. He stretched his arms a bit, still marveled at how fast the Senzu went to work.

"Thanks, Mr. Piccolo."

"I figured you'd want to be one hundred percent before we do this."

"Y-Yeah..." Gohei replied under his breath. Now that he was healed, he was somewhat regretting taking the Senzu at all, because it did nothing more than remind him he really would have to fight.

"G-Gohei, where do you think **you're** going?!"

Cringing, Gohei had completely forgotten about Tyla, who was marching over to him with a frowned nose and narrowed eyelids. His eyes peered over to Kain and Gohei wished he would hurry with the controls already. When it was clear Kain wasn't going to save him in time, Gohei sighed and prepared himself for an earful.

"T-Tyla, I can explain..."

"No!" she barked, immediately causing his tongue to cease any and all activity. "You...you can't just leave **again** like this! I thought you said we were going to run away!"

"Well...I **was**, but..." Gohei rubbed the back of his head, unable to come up with a straight answer. Why was he so ready to go along with this suicide mission now? "J-Just, don't worry about me! I'll be..."

"'Fine?' You say that every time you go, Gohei! I already told you though that I'm tired of worrying sick about your well being every time you wanna run off and be the hero!"

Gohei could think of no counter argument in regards to this. He had already promised her that he would refrain from doing the very thing he was about to do and trying to convince her otherwise would solely incur her wrath further. With nothing coming to mind, Gohei simply bowed her way and shot her a nervous glance before going to help Kain figure out how to move the lift.

"G-Gohei...?! Don't you ignore me! Gohei! GOHEI!"

He tried his best to drown her out and finally, he and Kain managed to get the lift going, as its whirred and clicked a few times. Soon enough, it began to descended into a dark shaft. Gohei waved Tyla goodbye as it did so and he quickly informed her to find some place safe to hide with Master Daigu. He then braced himself, while a torrent of insults and threats were blasted his way.

"I-I'm sorry!" he shouted back, just as Tyla threw a rock at him. "O-Ow!"

"And you better come back in one piece, Gohei!" she bellowed.

The prison was out of sight and so was Tyla, as the lift went farther and farther into the bowls of the round ship. At least Tyla was out of the way, Gohei thought. He could do without her nagging words, even if he had to exchange her for Kidnel for a short while.

"Hmph. Some friend you have to deal with," said Piccolo.

"H-Huh? Oh...y-yeah, I guess."

Not accustomed to someone like Piccolo cracking jokes, Gohei gave a less than enthusiastic laugh at the remark. He hoped the remark would lighten Kain's temperament, but Kain seemed not to hear it. Gohei frowned at this. How were they going to work as a team if they really did end up having to fight someone if Kain remained like this?

The spiraling ride downward on the lift was an uneventful one. Gohei had expected a surprise attack of some sort, but the trip down into the bottom of the ship couldn't have been more dull. He did find himself amazed though at how many rooms the Invader's spaceship possessed. He never would have guessed there was a underground floor to it if he weren't seeing it with his own eyes. If they weren't enemies, he would have been tempted to ask for a tour around the place, but as is, he knew he would have to stick to sight seeing.

The lift arrived in an empty, wide corridor and its three passengers climbed off. Kain was the first and stretching his arms, he wordlessly headed for the large, iron doors at the end of the hallway. Watching his retreating backside, Gohei quickly ran after him.

"H-Hey! Wait up!" he cried. Kain increased his pace, leaving him behind. "D-Dammit! Why is he acting like such a kid?!"

"Just let him finish his tantrum," said Piccolo, walking past Gohei.

Kain stopped upon hearing the remark. "Shut your mouth."

Piccolo ceased moving as well. "You wanna repeat that?"

"I SAID SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Kain's declaration reverberated about the hallway a couple of times and for a short while, Gohei had the feeling Kain and Piccolo were seconds away from ripping one another's throats out. However, everyone remained motionless and the silence persisted until Piccolo finally emitted a low growl.

"This is why I hate dealing with children," he said quietly.

Kain's body moved on its own. His eyelid twitched and before he knew it, he was within inches of Piccolo expressionless visage. The two locked eyes and Gohei reminded of two lions ready to pounce. At this rate, his allies would kill one another before they even met Kidnel.

The metallic doors at the end of the hallways creaked open and it was this action that prompted Kain and Piccolo to separate. A blinding light then blinded them from the adjacent room and for a split second, Gohei felt they were being transported elsewhere and this seemed to be the case, as they all felt the sensation of being washed down a drain.

"W-What the hell is going on?!" Gohei cried, wondering if he and the others had made the biggest mistakes of their lives accepting Kidnel's invitation.

END

* * *

A/N: So, this one took forever for no reason and I apologize for that. I guess I've just been swamped by work and have had no muse to write as of late. I'll try to continue the story as best I can, however, so expect the next chapter up soon.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

It was the strangest sensation Gohei had ever experienced. It was as if he water being sucked down a long, winding drain. It wasn't a pleasant feeling and as his eyes were blinded by a bright, white light, he simply wished for it to be over as soon as possible.

"W-Wha...?" He held his hand against his head and his blurred vision corrected itself. What he saw next made a low gasp exit his mouth. "Huh, how did we get **here**?!"

He, Kain, and Piccolo spun their heads around upon realizing they were in a totally different area than the lengthy corridor they had moments ago occupied.

The pure white room around them was circular with no exit or entrance of any kind in sight. In the middle of the spacious area were numerous monitors hovering in midair. A black chair stood below them, but as it creaked and turned in their direction, they saw that it was empty. If someone had occupied it, they were gone now. In fact, the three of them were the only ones present.

Kain, sitting up, shook his head. "Agh. I don't ever wanna do that again."

"Is everyone alright?" asked Piccolo.

Gohei nodded. "Pretty much. What the heck was that though? Some kind of portal?"

"Seems like it, though I don't know how they could have managed such a thing."

The three managed to regain their bearings before turning their attention to the monitors floating of their own accord.

"Smile!" Gohei said, waving at his own image on one of the wide screens. "I don't see any cameras around, but it looks like there's one in this room..."

"So, that's how that guy has been watching us," Kain said. He inspected the equipment, though had no clue how to work it. He then pointed to one of the monitors on the left, where Master Daigu and Tyla were talking back in the prison. There was no sound, so he couldn't hear them. "Looks like there's a feed of most of the major areas on this ship."

"Looks like it," added Piccolo. "I don't sense anyone's Ki nearby though."

"Huh?" Sitting down in the chair, Gohei noticed this too. "Huh, that's weird. Do you think everyone on the ship left then? But...why?"

Wait, why did he care if the ship really was empty? If Kidnel and the rest of the Invaders had gone for good, he there certainly wasn't any reason for him to complain.

"No, I don't think anyone's left," said Piccolo. " If they were just going to turn tail and leave, why put up such a fight with us to begin with?"

"So, this is a trap then?"

"Like I said earlier, if all this were some kind of trap, it would have made sense to initiate it the moment you all came to this ship. Look,I don't know what the enemy could possibly thinking, but keep your guards up. Let's not get too comfortable here."

"What a waste of time!" Kain, only half listening to Piccolo's advice, was more aggravated by the prospect of having no one to take his frustration out on. "I should have gone after that Elastro dude after all..."

"You're still on about that?" chimed Gohei, his hands on his hips. He let out a sigh, adding, "Well, considering spikes aren't shooting up from the floor or anything, we were probably asked to come here for a reason, Kain. Just relax!"

"Yeah, yeah! Whatever!" Kain hunched over and placed his head in his hands. He wasn't going to hold his breath that anyone whatsoever would appear.

Seeing this, Gohei said, "There's just no pleasing some people..."

"Did you forget the video we saw earlier, Kain?" asked Piccolo.

"I-It could have been a recording!" Kain protested. "That could have been made hours ago, while everyone else was packing their bags and leaving! Look around, you idiots! Do you**see** anyone nearby? I bet that guy only asked us to come here to throw us off his trail! Come on! Let's get out of here! There's no point wasting our time hanging around this place when we could be doing some good outside!"

Piccolo's expression dropped slightly. "And that would be?"

"W-Well...y-you know! We could be..."

Kain stammered off, seeing as he didn't know the answer. He didn't even know how to get out of this strange room. His hesitance seemed to be exactly what Piccolo had expected. He tossed a glare of warning at Kain, effectively telling him to stay put for the time being. All Kain could do in response was to smack his lips and turn away.

"M-Man, those two are scary when they're mad," Gohei mumbled to himself.

For awhile, no one said a word, while they waited for something to happen. The minutes and seconds ticked by and Gohei was glad he didn't have a watch because he knew he would go mad checking it every second if he did.

He soon found himself glancing around the spacious room, unsure of what the hold up could be. As terrified of Kidnel as he was, he was honestly beginning to wish the Invader would reveal himself already. After all, it would be rather rude if their host decided not to show up after inviting them to this little soirée.

"Seriously, no one's coming," declared Kain in a 'take that' sort of tone. He fiddled with a strand of his hair using his fingers and added, "You guys believe me **now**? No one's coming and no one's gonna come! Let's just go already!"

"Well..." The silence was beginning to grow on Gohei's nerves, so he looked up at Piccolo for a sign on what to do. "Should...we just leave?"

"...I wonder. Kain may be onto something."

"**Thank you**!" Kain tossed his arms up into the air like he were throwing away a heavy burden and his foul temper lessened since everyone was finally agreeing with him on something. "Now then, let's find a way out of this dump and..."

"I apologize for my late arrival. Were you three waiting long?"

There was no mistaking that voice. The mere sound of it made Gohei break out in a cold sweat, one that was very familiar to him. His trembling form slowly adjusted itself to see the man in question grinning at he and the others with outstretched arms. A clatter of footsteps then filled the room, as Kidnel inched closer to the stunned faces gazing at him. No matter how many times Gohei saw him, he found himself unable to get over the fine, white suit Kidnel wore. It seemed so out of place on the Invader's ship. Was this man really the last of the Four Generals?

"Where the hell did you come from?!" asked Kain, as he straighted up. "I-I didn't sense your energy at all!"

"W-What?!" cried Gohei. Kain was correct. Even Gohei hadn't felt a drop of energy from Kidnel and even now, he couldn't feel a thing emanating from the grinning Kidnel. It was like he wasn't even standing there in front of them. "C-Can he hide his energy or something?!"

"C-Completely?! N-No way! Maybe this guy isn't as strong as we thought!"

"N-No!" Piccolo muttered, growling under his breath. Gohei could hardly believe it, but Piccolo looked even more alarmed than he or Kain. "T-That's not it!"

Somehow, Gohei knew Piccolo was right. Kidnel had been the strongest person Gohei had ever run into when the two had encountered one another in the ship's prison earlier that day, but now, it was as if Kidnel were invisible to his senses. While Gohei knew it was possible to mask one's power level, he had never known one of the Invader's with that ability, considering they were surprised by the fact he and the others could change their battle power at will. Besides, he found it improbable someone like Kidnel could hide away so much power. How could anyone?

"I was held up by something just now," said Kidnel, walking even closer to Gohei and the others. "Here I am though and it is quite an honor to meet you all face to face." He then searched between their faces for someone in particular. "I thought there would be one more with you..."

"If you're lookin' for Axel, he ain't here!" Kain shouted. He then held his fist up and said, "We're all you need to worry about!"

"Is that so? I see. You sound quite confident."

"Cut the crap! You know why we're here, Invader!"

Kidnel let out a small chuckle. "I do indeed. You want to stop this invasion. You want to save your fair planet, Earth. Am I correct?"

"Y-Yeah!" said Gohei, having built up the to at least courage to speak. However, it diminished the instant Kidnel's gaze fixed itself to him and he scattered behind one of Piccolo's legs.

"Ah! The young Saiyan boy," said Kidnel. His eyes moved themselves to the brown tail wagging furiously behind Gohei. "We meet again, it seems."

Kain shot his head from Kidnel to Gohei and then back again. "You two wanna explain how the hell you each other?!"

"We had a short chat earlier actually."

"And why the hell didn't you mention this, kid?!" barked Kain, baring down on Gohei now.

"B-Because I didn't think it mattered!" Gohei cried in defense.

Piccolo abruptly spoke up. "You're Kidnel, right? I've got a few questions for you then. Why have you been toying with us all this time? Something tells me you're up to something other than taking over this planet. You've let us live far too long for that."

"...You're quite perceptive, aren't you, Namekian?" There was a short pause before Kidnel elaborated. "You all may have noticed, but I have been ensuring you all made it here in one piece. What I'm trying to say is that I have no wish to kill any of you. I never have. Getting you to this point alive and well was my goal and I believe I've succeeded in that endeavor."

This bombshell startled Gohei, Kain, and Piccolo so much, they nearly lost their footing. They had suspected this, although hearing it straight from Kidnel's mouth was still quite the shock. Gohei, cleaning out his ears, assumed he must have heard wrong.

"W-Why?!" asked Kain, suspicious of such a claim. "Why would you...?!"

"I wanted to test your abilities!" Kidnel stated enthusiastically.

"T-Test our abilities? B-But why? I don't get it!" proclaimed Gohei.

"Yeah, you must be pulling our legs!" said Kain.

"You don't believe me?" Kidnel placed his arms behind his back and began to pace around the room. The others watched him carefully to make sure he wasn't up to something. "Think about it. If I had wanted any of you dead, I would have seen to it myself personally. I knew you would come to this ship if I took your friends and gave you a reason to want me dead. After all, I killed all of your friends back at your hideout personally to ensure this."

Kidnel stated the last part as if were no big deal. Kain did not let this go unnoticed as his face reddened in anger at finally discovering the identity of Sarai's murderer. Still, he did not attack and perhaps held his ground because his curiosity at the moment was overpowering his rage.

Kidnel went on. "I made sure all my men would do nothing from stopping you from facing Lilma and Soyl and you all proved to be more than worthy opponents for them. Had you been defeated, however, I would have stepped in and made sure of your survival. Those fights gave me a first hand view of your abilities and I must say that I was not disappointed! You all were everything I had been hoping for."

"Y-You bastard!" Kain was gritting his teeth so hard, they were seconds away from crumbling under the pressure. "Y-You killed Sarai and the rest of my friends! Y-You and your goons have killed so many people on Earth and destroyed so many cities and for what?! So you could satisfy your **curiosity**?! You **bastard**! What's so special about us, huh?! What's so special about us that would make you spill so much blood?! Do you even have any idea how much suffering you've caused?! Do you even have any idea what you've **done**?!"

"I do."

"Y-You **do**?! Then why?!"

"At this point, that's none of your concern."

Despite the passionate words spilling out of Kain's mouth, Kidnel began to **laugh **after his declaration of remaining tight lipped. Indeed, he placed his hand on the side of his head and began laughing like a madman, losing his usual air of coolness and sophistication. Gohei watched him do so with a gaping jaw. The way in which Kidnel went on was by far one of the most disturbing things he had ever seen. Kain, meanwhile, used it as his inspiration to attack.

"Fuck you!" he roared at the top of his voice, flying at Kidnel and leaving his doubts behind. "You think that's **funny**! Oh, I'll **show** you funny!"

"K-Kain, wait!" yelled Gohei, though he was well aware that it was too late to stop him.

Piccolo groaned. "That idiot! What does he think he's doing?! He shouldn't have allowed the enemy to rile him up like that!"

"That's just how Kain is though..."

Kain vanished and reappeared in various places, all while nearing a waiting and still smirking Kidnel. Finally, he got close enough to his target to toss a punch, channeling all the ire he could. It landed on the bridge of Kidnel's nose, with Gohei thinking the battle had been decided already. He could not have been more wrong, as Kain quickly saw that his blow had done absolutely nothing. Kidnel chuckled at Kain's effort before driving his own fist straight into Kain's stomach, his blow nearly going right through. Stumbling back, Kain clutched his chest, fell to his knees, and vomited up his own blood.

"Not a bad punch," Kidnel stated, while rubbing his face. "Still, your technique was a tad bit off. Next time, I suggest you..."

Kain, unwilling to hear Kidnel talk any longer, held his palm open and fired off a point blank energy wave that appeared to blow his target to pieces. Smoke spread all about and while catching his breath, Kain waited to see if this was true. He got his answer when Kidnel wiped some dust off of his undamaged tuxedo and frowned.

"Well, I was going to tell you to punch how I did, but that last attack certainly wasn't bad," Kidnel said, smiling his usual smile. Despite his words, he hadn't been harmed in the slightest.

"W-Why you...!"

"Dammit! This is why I told him not to charge in recklessly!" cried Piccolo.

With no other choice, he entered the fray himself. He shot toward Kidnel with blinding speed and the Invader had no time to react, as he was nailed across the side of his neck by a powerful kick. Piccolo, however, was the one who's expression dropped at this upon the realization that like Kain's attack, his had done nothing whatsoever to slow down Kidnel.

"W-What?! How...?!" Piccolo muttered.

Kidnel replied, "You all don't have to hold back on me, you know. Please, show me what you can really do."

Without moving a muscle, Kidnel produced a shock wave of energy from his body. It was strong enough to knock both Piccolo and Kain back, the two of them staring at their foe wonderment. They each managed to break their falls and at the same time, they dashed at Kidnel again. Gohei watched them unload a flurry of attacks in the Invader's direction, ones he casually avoided by jerking his head around here and there. His two attackers, stunned somewhat by this, increased the intensity of their strikes, enough so that Kidnel at least had to start using both hands to block them. Nevertheless, he did so in the same nonchalant manner that told Gohei he was in no immediate danger.

"H-How he is deflecting all their attacks like that?!" the young boy said, while the small sense of hope he had in winning this battle faded away by the second. He watched as Kidnel repelled a right hook from Kain, tripping the latter up. "E-Even Mr. Piccolo can't hit him!"

"Now, now. You all will mess up my suit if this keeps up," Kidnel stated.

"D-Dammit! Stay still!" Kain barked. He aimed a spinning roundhouse in the hopes of decapitating his smirking foe, yet the move sail over a ducking Kidnel's head.

"I assumed you two were holding back earlier..." Kidnel started, while parrying a chop from Piccolo that was directed at his neck. "But maybe this is all you really have..."

Piccolo, realizing their current offense was pointless, suddenly flipped back and placed his fingertips up to his forehead. It took only a millisecond for Kain to understand what he was up to and he hastily jumped out of the way, just as Piccolo fired off his Makankosappo. The drill-like beam shot at Kidnel faster than Gohei's eyes could follow it and Kidnel himself seemed unprepared for it. At the last second, he managed to redirect it into the wall behind using his right arm.

"W-What?!" Gohei proclaimed. His hands shot up to his head and his fingers began pulling at the hairs on his scalp. "H-He even sent **that** one away?!"

"Hmph. I had a feeling that one wouldn't work," said Piccolo indifferently.

Kidnel stretched his smoking fingertips, frowning. "I'll admit, that one stung a bit. That was an excellent technique indeed. I might have even been seriously injured if I had allowed it to strike me. Tell me now, Namekian, do you have anymore moves to show me?"

Not replying, Piccolo removed the turban and cape from his person, letting them slam into the floor with a loud thud. Gohei stared at his master before shooting his head over to the clothing, which for some reason, seemed to weigh a ton. His power level had shot up dramatically after removing them and while cracking his knuckles, Piccolo peered over to Kidnel, who looked to be as equally impressed as Gohei.

"Hey!" yelled Kain out of the blue at Piccolo. "You wanna warn me next time you throw one of those things out?! I barely got out of the way that time!"

"...I had faith you would avoid it," Piccolo retorted.

Kain smacked his lips and mumbled, "T-This guy...!"

"I want to know something," said Piccolo, now turning to Kidnel. "How are you masking your Ki like that? I should be able to feel something from you, I can't. What are you doing to achieve such a thing?"

"Oh, you noticed, did you?" Kidnel continued to grin and the more Gohei watched him do so, the more abnormal it appeared to the young warrior. He wished Kidnel would just stop. "I apologize. I thought it was rather rude of me to conceal myself in such a manner, but I did not want to frighten you all before meeting you. You see, the people of my race can easily hide our energy from those around us. However, if you would like me to stop that farce..."

A powerful gust of wind swept past Gohei, Piccolo, and Kain suddenly, courtesy of Kidnel and his surging energy. There was no doubt about it in Gohei's mind. **This **was the Ki he had sensed earlier, the one that had frozen the blood running in his veins solid. **This** was the power that made it seem as if every muscle in his body had been inextricably paralyzed. He braced himself from another torrent of Kidnel's might, thinking that it was better when the Invader was hiding his true power because now, every part of his body was screaming for him to run away.

"H-How the hell was he hiding **this** much energy?!" Kain shouted, his voice carrying over the sweeping currents of air.

Gohei couldn't stop himself. His limbs began to tremble with such ferocity, he was reduced to his knees. It was as if Kidnel's Ki was pressing down on his person like a heavy weight. His breathing stifled; maybe all the air in the room had been sucked up by the huge power swelling all about. Ready to give up and succumb, he felt himself being snatched up off the ground and placed back on his he glanced up, he gasped at Piccolo glaring down at him.

"What are you doing?! Stop sulking around and prepare to fight!"

"B-But...! I-I mean...o-okay, Mr. Piccolo!"

Gohei was glad the winds being produced by Kidnel were so noisy. He didn't even want to know what Piccolo would have done if he had heard him emit a low groan at the idea of taking Kidnel head on. What choice did he have though? If Kidnel didn't finish him, Piccolo certainly would if he continued to stand around doing nothing.

"Well then, are you all ready for me?" asked Kidnel.

"Stop talking crap, you bastard!" Kain screamed back.

Again submitting to his anger, Kain recklessly dove into battle, much to Piccolo's dismay. Gohei attempted going after him, but Piccolo pulled him back.

"Huh? What are you...?"

"Hold on a second. I want you to see this," Piccolo replied sternly.

What was Piccolo thinking? Having no clue, Gohei was forced to stand back and watch as Kain gathered Ki into the palms of his hands. He then unloaded a volley of Ki blasts in the spot Kidnel stood until a dense cloud of smoke blinded his line of sight. This did not deter Kain and he bit his lip, firing off more and more energy waves, intending to reduce Kidnel to nothing more than space dust.

"Whoa! That **had** to have finished Kidnel off!" Gohei happily proclaimed.

Piccolo's grunt, however, brought him back down to Earth. "You think so? Look closely, Gohei."

Gohei did as he was told, but saw nothing of particular interest. "W-What?"

"...All Kain is doing is masking Kidnel's presence in all that smoke. He isn't thinking with his head. He's just attacking blindly right now. If you seriously think Kidnel would be finished off by something like this, then I really haven't taught you anything."

Though Kain was the one being criticized, Gohei felt as if he was the one who had done something wrong. He again took a look at Kain's handiwork and saw that Piccolo **did** have a point. It was hard to tell where Kidnel was with so much dust in the air and for all he knew, none of those blasts had made contact with their intended target. Kain perhaps thought so as well, since he finally stopped his offensive to catch his breath and gaze into the thick miasma. There was silence, as everyone watching on waited for something to happen.

"My, my. You nearly ruined a perfect suit of mine," said Kidnel's voice from inside the smoke cloud. As it faded away, Kain's jaw fell at the sight of a completely uninjured Kidnel, who smirked and held his arms out at the sight of this. "You'd be surprised how hard it would be for me to order a new one all the way out on a planet such as this one."

Kidnel's thrilling story was put on hold when a growling Kain fired off a full power Ryuho this time. The blast got nothing more than an afterimage of its target and Kain searched around frantically for his opponent.

"B-Behind you!" Gohei yelled from the distance.

The warning had come far too late. By the time Kain got it, he was kicked forward onto the ground. A hand then wrapped itself tightly around his throat and with his eyes reddening, he gazed into Kidnel's face. The sight of him made even more blood vessels appear in Kain's eyeballs, yet he could do nothing to free himself from what was quickly becoming a vice-like grip on his neck.

"I thought you would be a tad bit better than this," Kidnel told Kain, inspecting him and almost seeming unaware of his own actions. "You honestly looked better fighting Lilma..."

A sudden kick to Kidnel's cheek forced Kain out of his hands and caused him to fly straight into a nearby wall. Free from his captor, Kain hit the floor and began gasping for fresh air, just as Piccolo's silhouette hovered on top of him.

"You need to calm down, Kain! You're fighting like a complete idiot right now because of you can't keep your head on straight!" Piccolo proclaimed.

"S-Shut up!" Kain gasped between sharp inhales. The last thing he wanted to do right now was argue with the likes of Piccolo. "J-Just shut your mouth!"

Kidnel managed to pick himself up and before long, he rejoined Piccolo and Kain, wiping some rubble off of his white tuxedo.

"I honestly didn't see that one coming," he said. He then placed his finger up to his Scouter. The device beeped and clicked a couple of times, stopping on a number that made Kidnel say, "Hmm, three hundred and seventy five thousand. I didn't think anyone on this planet possessed such power."

"Talk is cheap." Stretching his neck, Piccolo stated, "If we're going to fight, then let's do this. Bring it on."

Kidnel let out a soft chuckle at this. "Gladly."

"G-Get out of here, g-green man!" said Kain, struggling to stand. He narrowed his eyelids in Kidnel's vicinity before adding, "H-He's **mine**! This bastard is the one that killed Sarai, so I'm the one who's going to kill him!

"Kain, you..."

"I don't want to hear it! I'm taking this guy down if it's the last thing I do!"

Impossible, Gohei thought, as he watched Kain on the verge of collapsing. Defeating Kidnel? How was such a thing even possible? He still couldn't fathom why Piccolo and Kain were resisting the Invader so much when they should have been running for their lives. Couldn't they sense Kidnel's incredible Ki like he could? Stepping back, Gohei wanted no part of this battle; Piccolo's words weren't going to change that.

"You're going to take me down?" Kidnel asked inquisitively.

"T-That's right!" Kain said with an air of defiance. "You're going down, like the rest of the bozos you were working with!"

"Working with? Oh, I see now. You actually think I considered Lilma, Plinto, and Soyl as equals then?" said Kidnel. "While they were fantastic comrades, they did not wield nearly as much power as they assumed they did."

"What do you mean?" said Piccolo.

"It's simple: I merely used them for my own goals. I needed to test each of you in battle and what better way to do it then to have the others fight you? You see, Lord Icer sent me to head this invasion **alone**. The others only came along one I promised them they could share in the credit of capturing this planet."

"What the hell does that have to do with Sarai and the other people you killed?! If you really wanted to test us or whatever, you could have done that without shedding so much blood!" declared Kain.

"Would you have come here with such passion today if I didn't kill them? Would you have been so willing to kill me and the rest of my troops if I hadn't done those sorts of things?"

"You think **that's** justification for what you've done?!"

"Of course not," replied Kidnel. His tone of voice had not shifted whatsoever from its calm, casual behavior during his tale. "Still, I had to do **something** to get your group all riled up and I believe I've done the job just fine. It was I who ordered the raid on your stronghold after I predicted you would attack my forces head on. It was also by my hands that this poor girl you speak of..."

"Sarai..." Kain muttered all of a sudden.

Kidnel stopped, cupping his hand over an ear. "What was that? I didn't hear you."

"Her name was...**SARA-AAAAAAAA-AI!**"

Kain's body moved of its own accord, as his seething form charged at Kidnel without caring for its own well being. All he could see was red, Kidnel's red blood dripping down his fingertips. If he could simply kill Kidnel, all would be right with the world. If he could just knock that smug look of the Invader's face, he would be able to sleep peacefully tonight.

"Ugh! I don't believe him!" snarled Piccolo. "Gohei, we're going this time!"

Gohei jumped at his own name. "H-Huh?"

"I said get a move on or that idiot is going to get himself killed!"

There was no choice now. Going against his every instinct, Gohei willed himself to fly after Piccolo, as they prepared to back up Kain.

Kain, in a complete fit of rage, swung his fist blindly at Kidnel and found his attack easily repelled. He was tossed back, just as Piccolo swooped in with a ball of energy in his fingertips. Whatever damage the blast could have done was not revealed; Piccolo was kicked to the side long before he could launch it off. This left just Gohei, who nervously approached Kidnel with the intent to attack. Be that as it may, his legs froze on the spot as soon as Kidnel laid eyes on him and the most he could do was launch a Masenko off behind a high-pitched cry. The yellow energy wave hit its target point blank and for a fleeting second, Gohei thought he might have actually won.

"Very good, Gohei," said Kidnel, the smoke around him clearing to show off his uninjured form. "It was Gohei, wasn't it? Forgive me. I am terrible with names."

Gohei, now shaking so forcefully that it seemed as if a winter storm had hit the area, stumbled away from Kidnel. He could not recall another time where he had been so frightened in his entire life. His breathing became shallow and rapid; he was going to hyperventilate if he persisted in such a manner. Kidnel stepped forward with one foot and with another terrified scream, Gohei let loose another Ki blast. This time, however, Kidnel did not simply dodge, but vanish behind a bright, white light.

"W-What?!" Gohei cried, looking desperately for the man who had seconds ago been right there in front of him. "How did he...?!"

A swift chop planted itself firmly into his neck and Gohei was rendered unconscious before he even knew what had happened. He crashed face first onto the floor, as Kidnel leered above his motionless form with a smile.

It was at that same moment that Piccolo, rubbing his head, recovered from Kidnel's earlier attack and caught a glimpse of his pupil being struck down. Something inside him snapped when Kidnel next reached down and picked Gohei off of the ground and without a moment's hesitation, he sprung to his feet.

"KIDNEL!"

Kidnel turned his head to the Namekian and said, "Oh, you're still able to move?"

The ground at the Invader's feet was destroyed by a kick that had been meant for him. He jumped back in time, however, and merely smirked when he avoided yet another attack. The opening allowed Piccolo to grab Gohei and move him out of harm's way nevertheless.

"Come on, Gohei! Wake up! We don't have time for this!"

The most Gohei did in response to Piccolo's order was groan a little.

"Should you really be worrying about him when I'm around, Namekian?"

Piccolo just barely managed to block a side kick with his forearm, one that nearly tore his limb off in the process. As he attempted to counter attack, the bright light from before that had caught Gohei off guard earlier also did the same for Piccolo, since Kidnel had vanished along with its appearance.

"Up here," Kidnel's voice called from above. Somehow, he was now flying **above** Piccolo.

"W-What the hell?! He didn't just dodge that! That was more like...!"

There was only one thing Piccolo could think of to prove his theory and without warning, he began launching of a torrent of Ki blasts toward his foe. Kidnel tensed up in preparation to dodge them, but soon lowered his arms when he saw none of the balls of light were even remotely close to striking him. Indeed, Piccolo's accuracy seemed to decrease the more he went on with his futile offensive.

"Pray tell, what is it you are trying to do?" he asked. "Surely, your eyesight is not **that** poor that you can't even hit me when I'm right in front of you."

"Hmph! Who said I was trying to hit you?!" Piccolo barked back.

"What? What do you...?"

The true meaning of those words were not apparent to Kidnel until he realized too late that he was surrounded on all sides. The energy blasts that had 'missed' him had actually been gathering him around him, remaining stationary

"Well played, Namekian," he said.

"This is the end for you! DIE!"

Gesturing his arms forward, Piccolo caused the balls to collide into Kidnel simultaneously. A huge explosion took place afterward, as Piccolo braced himself from it. He had wondered whether or not his plan would work, but from the looks of it, he had done the job. Now all that was left was to check on Gohei.

"Come on. Wake up already, you brat," he said, slapping Gohei's face gently.

"H-Huh? W-Wha...?"

Gohei gazed around his surroundings in a daze. The last thing he remembered, he had been battling Kidnel, yet now he was in Piccolo's arms. He stroked his aching neck prior to standing up on his own power.

"M-Mr. Piccolo?"

"Good. You're unharmed. You were starting to worry me there."

"You were...worried about me?"

Gohei was more shocked to hear this than he thought he would be. Maybe it had something to do with Piccolo always coming off as grumpy, mean, and unsociable. It hadn't even crossed Gohei's mind until now that the Namekian might have actually been worrying over his well being. Blushing some, he turned away from his mentor, as the latter raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"S-Say, where'd that Kidnel get off to?" Gohei inquired in a shaky voice.

"Tch. He's right there, Gohei."

He was there alright. Kidnel, wiping off his clothing, glanced at the two standing before him, chuckling. Piccolo growled a little under his breath because his last assault hadn't left a single scratch on the Invader.

"I thought that would happen," he muttered.

"Very interesting technique there! Yes, well done, Namekian. I may very well have died if it weren't for my rather...'unique' abilities."

"Tch! I really hate bastards like you who don't know how to die!" snarled Piccolo.

Kidnel placed his hands in the air innocently. "Oh, I seem to have aggravated you. Please, forgive my rudeness. I..."

"RYUHO!"

From out of nowhere, an orange wave of energy raced toward Kidnel. It got nothing but air though when the Invader again disappeared behind a bright flash of white light. That time, Piccolo got a clear glimpse of what transpired.

"T-That son of a bitch! W-Where did he go?!"

Kain, moving his head to and from, limped over to where Kidnel had just been standing, only to see no trace of him.

"W-What the...?! Wasn't he just here?!" cried Gohei.

"Both of you, calm down! I think I understand what's going on!" said Piccolo.

"Oh yeah?! Then feel free to inform us at any time!" said Kain.

"Yes, please. Educate us."

That voice belonged to Kidnel, who was now leaning his back against Kain's. Instinctively, Kain attempted to attack, but his punch was quickly sent away and Kidnel used the momentum to throw him into a nearby wall.

"A-Ah! Kain! Hold on, I'm...!"

"Gohei, wait!" said Piccolo, as he held the young boy back. "He wants you to go after Kain so you'll let your guard down while he strikes. Kain will be fine. Trust me."

"W-Well, if you say so..."

"Leave this one to me. I clearly underestimated this guy."

Kidnel let out a chuckle. "Well, I'm flattered. However, I have a feeling you're holding back a great deal of power as well. We should do each other the pleasure of fighting at our full strength."

Piccolo merely grumbled at the proposition. He gestured for Gohei to stand back and when the boy did, Piccolo suddenly began to scream with power. Despite the distance he had gotten between them, Gohei was thrown back by the shock waves generated by Piccolo's energy.

"H-He was holding back that much power?!" Gohei exclaimed. "I-I can practically feel the heat from his aura burning my skin!"

"Interesting." Although the room was shaking, it did nothing to falter Kidnel's footing. "My Scouter can't seem to get a proper reading. So I suppose it's true that the people of Earth can hide their true power whenever they feel like it as well."

Like a bullet out of a gun, Piccolo rushed at Kidnel and planted his knuckles into his jaw before the Invader could react. The sudden strike was followed up with another one aimed straight into Kidnel's gut and Piccolo followed that up by grabbing onto his foe's arm and throwing him to the side. He then opened his mouth, launching off a yellow ki wave. The blast looked to connect, yet Piccolo's instincts were telling him otherwise. His hunch proved to be correct, as he blocked an attack from above.

"Oh, I see your reflexes are fantastic!" said Kidnel, pressing his foot into Piccolo. "You've seen a battle or two, haven't you?"

"More than you, I can assure you."

Piccolo shoved Kidnel back a good distance and then attempted a flying knee. The move was blocked and countered with a straight punch, but Piccolo managed to flip back in time. His arm then stretched out toward Kidnel's neck, grabbing it and driving him across the room and into a metallic wall. His eyes widened when he felt some force against his limb and before he knew it, he was being lifted into the air. Smirking, Kidnel slammed the Namek straight into the floor.

"M-Mr. Piccolo!" screamed Gohei on the sidelines.

From the smoke arose Piccolo, who was no worse for the wear. He stretched his neck a bit and returned to his fighting stance, while Kidnel laughed yet again.

"You're quite impressive, Mr. Namekian. I don't believe anyone has ever managed to last thing long against me, let alone manage to sustain no injuries. Yes, I'm quite glad you lived long enough to face me."

"I thought I told you that talk was cheap," replied Piccolo, spitting on the floor. "I've heard just about enough out of you."

"W-Whoa! I-I can't believe it!" exclaimed Gohei. His eyes almost appeared to shimmer as he gazed at Piccolo in astonishment. "H-He's actually taking that Kidnel guy on! I-I think he can actually win this!"

"N-Not if I can help it!"

A hand placed itself on Gohei's shoulder and he jumped in response. Standing behind him was Kain, who managed to limp past him, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. His forehead had been apparently busted open thanks to Kidnel's last attack, though he wasn't going to allow it to slow him down.

"I-I thought I told you, green man, that **I** was gonna be the one to take this bastard down!" Kain stated between clenched teeth. "I'm not gonna let you beat him first!"

"K-Kain! We're supposed to be working **together**!" said Gohei.

"Tch! I-I never said I wanted to team up with anyone to do this! You guys just tagged along! T-That's all! I-I never...I never needed your help!"

There was nothing Gohei could think to say to this. The obvious thing would have been to remind Kain the he never would have gotten this far without their help, or that the group was much stronger when they worked together, but those words, and any others, seemed useless right now. Kain's rage stemmed from his quest for revenge, something Gohei would never understand. He had lost acquaintances to the Invaders sure, yet it was nothing compared to the pain of losing someone you loved, as Kain had with Sarai. Perhaps if Tyla had been the one who had died back there, maybe Gohei would have been the one telling his friends to back off from the man who had killed her.

"You again?" Kidnel frowned in an almost irritated manner at Kain. "Don't you know when you've been beaten, human? That girlfriend of yours sure did."

Piccolo quickly shouted, "No, Kain! He's just trying to rile you up again!"

But it was too late. Kidnel's taunt did the trick, as Kain ran at the Invader with reckless abandon for what Gohei assumed was the hundredth time. He also figured Piccolo would stop this suicidal offensive, but the Namekian simply remained where he was.

"You can't hit me, human. Not in a million years," said Kidnel

Gohei's eyes were blinded by a bright light and when he regained his vision, he saw that Kidnel was gone. It was just like what happened earlier when he himself had tried attacking.

"W-What?! Seriously, what the hell **is** that?!" said Kain.

Piccolo shook his head. "If you had listened to me earlier, I could have told you that would happen! Listen! This guy isn't using high speed movement to dodge our attacks! He's using some kind of teleportation ability! You might as well be trying to fight blind if you think you're going to hit him like that!"

"T-Teleportation?! Y-You gotta be kidding me! How are we supposed to beat that?!"

"It's actually called Lunar Movement."

Gohei and Kain watched as purple blood spilled the ground in front of them, **Piccolo's** blood. As the Namek stood petrified, the other two saw a pale, white hand pierced through the center of his chest. Kidnel then removed his limb and even more blood spluttered out of the wound before Piccolo finally collapsed face first.

"N-No way!" Kain muttered. "H-He killed him just like that!"

Piccolo...dead? All the strength in Gohei's legs melted away upon hearing this. A pool of blood was forming below his unmoving mentor and he could feel Piccolo's power level dropping like a rock. He wasn't dead yet, but he would be in a matter of minutes if something wasn't done. Gohei, however, was drawing a blank on what to do.

"He was quite interesting, that Namekian." Kidnel shook his blood stained hand clean, making sure to get none of it on his fine, white suit. "A pity I had to kill him..."

"You bastard!" cried Kain, as he leap at Kidnel with orange Ki around his right arm. "Cho Ryu Tekken!"

"I believe your friend **did** warn you about this..."

Kain's attack missed when Kidnel's body vanished into thin air, replaced by white light. A devastating kick soon met his chest, causing him to hack up blood before the force knocked him backward. With that, Gohei saw that once again, he was the last man standing.

"W-What am I supposed to do now?!" he stated. "J-Just hang on, Piccolo! I'll...I'll..."

"G-Gohei..." Piccolo, gasping for air, managed to turn himself over. He then struggled to direct Gohei's attention to something or another. "I-In...my clothing. S-Senzu..."

"Huh? Senzu? What are you...?"

How could Gohei have forgotten so soon? Of course, Piccolo was carrying a bag full of Senzu, magic beans that could restore a person from even the most grievous injuries. Nodding, Gohei hastily fumbled over Piccolo's person until he found the brown sack in question. He then undid the string keep it closed, grabbed one of the green beans, and slipped it inside Piccolo's mouth. Slowly, the Namek began to chew prior to swallowing.

"W-We only have three more?!" Gohei exclaimed upon looking into the bag.

"That bag..." Kidnel started, as he stepped toward Gohei. "What is it that you have there?"

Instinctively, Gohei pulled the sack closer to him. "W-What's it to you?!"

That well-known flash of light blinded Gohei and he felt the bag in his possession snatched away by some unseen force. By the time he managed to regain himself, Kidnel was already holding the Senzu himself. The Invader plucked one from the depths of the sack, held it up to his face, and for a moment, Gohei swore he was going to eat it.

"Interesting," was all he said instead. "How ever did you come in possession of these?"

Gohei saw no point in responding. He was more concerned with the fact his carelessness had just lost he and the others their only hope of ever besting Kidnel.

"T-There's noway someone like me could get them back..."

"Hmm? You want them back? Here then."

The brown sack was thrown by Kidnel and Gohei, mesmerized, watched it twirl around before he finally caught it with both hands.

"W-What are you doing?!"

Kidnel smiled. "I only wished to examine them. I had no intention of keeping them for myself."

Now Gohei was seriously confused. Every time he thought he had Kidnel pegged, the Invader did something to completely throw him off. If the situation were reversed, Gohei would have kept the Senzu in a heartbeat, yet Kidnel have given them back without a care in the world. Was he just messing with Gohei because he knew he was no threat to him?

"Good. If we still have the Senzu, then give on to Kain," said Piccolo, who had walked in front of Gohei all of the sudden. Judging by the look of him, the Senzu had done the trick. "I'll hold him off while you do so. I need that idiot for something."

For the moment, Gohei's heart stopped its frantic beating. These near close calls were beginning to wear him down and he wasn't sure how many more he could take without cracking. He supposed tending to Kain was more important that his own constitution at the moment, so he rushed over to his fallen friend, who was writhing around in pain on the floor.

"Hey, idiot. Are you still alive?" asked Gohei, who was poking Kain the face.

Kain, swatting the finger away, replied, "Y-Yeah. I-I just had the wind knocked out of me is all! W-Where is that bastard?!"

Kidnel, the bastard being spoken of, was busy taking on Piccolo in the air. Both fighters traded blow after blow with one another, though neither of them could connect a hit on the other.

"Wow! I Mr. Piccolo's really amazing!"

Kain rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I guess."

"Oh!" Gohei had nearly forgotten what he had been tasked with doing. "Here."

The sight of the Senzu in Gohei's fingers made Kain groan a bit. The reality that he had to use it meant that he was actually being beaten by Kidnel, something his pride really didn't want to admit. Still, he snatched the bean away from Gohei and nearly shoved it down his throat. Soon enough, he sensed all his injuries melting away and his energy returning.

"You alright?" said Gohei.

"More or less. Thanks, kid," said Kain. He stretched his neck out a bit and added, "That last shot that jerk gave me really hurt though. Think I'll go return the favor."

"Er...well, try not to get too hurt while doing it..."

"W-What's that supposed to mean?!" cried Kain, a little embarrassed.

"I-It's not that! It's just...we only have two Senzu left..."

"Seriously? Agh, dammit. I guess we'll just have to make due with what we have."

Suddenly, Piccolo landed in front of the two and the three of them had to leap out of the way of an incoming energy wave. The smoke stirred up from the blast blinded the trio and as such, none of them were able to see Kidnel's attacks masked in between. Each of them were sent in different directions, but both Kain and Piccolo managed to recover in time to bounce back. Swiping at Kidnel with his hand, Piccolo's strike missed and Kidnel attempted a side kick in return. The blow was parried and followed up by a point blank Masenko. The blast wasn't enough to finish off Kidnel, although he was blown back by it.

"My suit..." the Invader mumbled. There was a hole in the center of his tuxedo and he appeared more perturbed by it than his opponent. "Hmph. It's going to cost a fortune to fix this."

A green hand slammed into Kidnel's face just then. Piccolo then reeled his arm back toward himself, adding a straight punch from his other limb for good measure. Kidnel looked powerless to stop this, but as the blow landed, he employed Lunar Movement to disappear from Piccolo's line of sight. Coming from the top was his opponent, who's elbow drop only missed because Kain managed to kick him out of the way. The surprise attack forced Kidnel to jump back to a more advantageous position. Kain was having none of that, however.

"Get your ass back here!" he roared.

He reached out far enough to grab the end of Kidnel's clothing. Skull met skull, as Kain dragged his foe in for a bone shattering head butt. Both fighters were rattled by it, yet it was Kain who refused to submit. He ax handled Kidnel downward, while Piccolo used the opportunity to land a swift kick. This sent the Invader spiraling toward a stunned and unready Gohei.

"W-Wha?!"

"Gohei! Now's our chance! You have to finish him off!" Piccolo suddenly declared. "Finish him before he can use that Lunar Movement of his!"

It did appear that Kidnel was quite unable to defend himself at the moment, even from someone like Gohei. If he wanted to, he probably could finish the Invader off in one shot. Despite this, his limbs were failing to heed his will because all they wanted to do was flee while they had the chance. Could he really handle something like this? Could he really finish off the Invader that had caused her and the others so much torment?

What was Gohei supposed to do?

END

* * *

A/N: Computer has been on the fritz, hence this chapter taking so long to be up. Everything's all fixed now, so expect regular updates on Mondays or Tuesdays.


End file.
